enviable

C1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈɛn.vɪ.ə.b(ə)l/ UK /ˈɛn.vi.ə.bl̩/ See IPA manual

Freq #42125

Meanings

1

adj
So good or desirable that others would envy it.

She has an enviable reputation as one of the best lawyers in the city.

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

enviable position
a favorable situation that other people would like to have

Adjective + noun

Etymology

Etymology tree Old French enviebor. Middle English envie English envy Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English enviable From envy + -able (suffix meaning ‘able or fit to be done’ forming adjectives).

*weyd- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# enviable

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈɛn.vɪ.ə.b(ə)l/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈɛn.vi.ə.bl̩/
**Frequency rank:** 42125

## Meanings
1. So good or desirable that others would envy it.

## Examples
- She has an enviable reputation as one of the best lawyers in the city.

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *weyd-

## Etymology
Etymology tree Old French enviebor. Middle English envie English envy Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English enviable From envy + -able (suffix meaning ‘able or fit to be done’ forming adjectives).

## AI Etymology
Enviable: The etymological chain runs Old French envie -> Middle English envie -> English envy -> Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlis -> Proto-Italic *-ðlis -> Latin -bilis -> Latin -ābilis -> Old French -able -> Middle English -able -> English -able -> English enviable. From envy + -able (suffix meaning ‘able or fit to be done’ forming adjectives). A key historical form is Proto-Indo-European *weyd-. In present-day use, it means so good or desirable that others would envy it.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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