Envy vs jealousy
Envy is an unhappy wish for something another person has. Jealousy can mean that too, but it is also the fear of losing someone to a rival.
envy noun
An unhappy, resentful wish for something that belongs to someone else.
- Her rapid promotion stirred quiet envy among her colleagues.
- He looked at his neighbor's new boat with envy.
jealousy noun
The feeling of resenting a rival, or of fearing you will lose someone to another person. It can also mean envy.
- His jealousy over his brother's success slowly poisoned their relationship.
- Her jealousy grew every time her boyfriend talked about his new coworker.
Watch out
- Envy is also a verb that means to wish you had what someone else has. Jealousy is only a noun, with no matching verb. Use the adjective instead: be jealous of.Writers often envy the freedom that painters seem to enjoy.
- The envy of means a person or thing that others wish they had or could be like.Their garden is the envy of the whole street.
Test yourself
He felt a sharp pang of blank when his girlfriend danced with his best friend.
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jealousy. He fears losing someone he loves to another person.
The city's subway system is the blank of planners across the country.
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envy. The envy of means something others wish they had. Jealousy is not used this way.
Her quick success filled her old classmates with blank.
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Either. Both words can mean an unhappy wish for what someone else has.
Many people blank her talent for languages.
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envy. A verb is needed here. Envy can be a verb, but jealousy is only a noun.