envious

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈɛnviːəs/ See IPA manual

Freq #12762

Meanings

1

adj
Feeling or exhibiting envy; jealously desiring the excellence or good fortune of another; maliciously grudging.

An envious man, disposition, or attack; envious tongues.
2

adj
Excessively careful; cautious.

For no man was ever so amorous, as to love a toad; none so envious, as to repine at the condition of the miserable.
3

adj
Malignant; mischievous; spiteful.

Each envious brier his weary legs doth scratch.
4

adj
Inspiring envy.

He to him leapt, and that same envious gage / Of victors glory from him snatcht away.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 adj · excessively careful; cautious. overcautious

Word family

Forms enviously

Derived forms enviouslyenviousnessnonenviousunenvious

Related forms jealous

Etymology

From Middle English envious, from Anglo-Norman envious, from Old French envieus, envious (modern French envieux), from Latin invidiōsus; more at envy. Doublet of invidious, borrowed directly from Latin. Displaced native Old English æfestiġ.

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# envious

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈɛnviːəs/
**Frequency rank:** 12762

## Meanings
1. Feeling or exhibiting envy; jealously desiring the excellence or good fortune of another; maliciously grudging.
2. Excessively careful; cautious.
3. Malignant; mischievous; spiteful.
4. Inspiring envy.

## Examples
- An envious man, disposition, or attack; envious tongues.
- For no man was ever so amorous, as to love a toad; none so envious, as to repine at the condition of the miserable.
- Each envious brier his weary legs doth scratch.
- He to him leapt, and that same envious gage / Of victors glory from him snatcht away.

## Derived Forms
- enviously
- enviousness
- nonenvious
- unenvious

## Related Forms
- jealous

## Etymology
From Middle English envious, from Anglo-Norman envious, from Old French envieus, envious (modern French envieux), from Latin invidiōsus; more at envy. Doublet of invidious, borrowed directly from Latin. Displaced native Old English æfestiġ.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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