envy vs. jealousy : Choose Your Words - Vocabulary.com

It's no fun to feel envy or jealousy because both make you feel inadequate. Envy is when you want what someone else has, but jealousy is when you're worried ... SKIPTOCONTENT It'snofuntofeelenvyorjealousybecausebothmakeyoufeelinadequate.Envyiswhenyouwantwhatsomeoneelsehas,butjealousyiswhenyou'reworriedsomeone'stryingtotakewhatyouhave.Ifyouwantyourneighbor'snewconvertible,youfeelenvy.Ifshetakesyourhusbandforaride,youfeeljealousy. Envyrequirestwoparties,likeyouandthatneighbor,whenyouwanthernewcarandyouwishyouweretheoneridingaroundwiththetopdown.Youfeelenvywhenyouwantsomethingsomeoneelsehas: Tallandlean,heiswearingbluejeans,tennisshoes,adarkblazerandredtiewithhaireverysportsanchorwouldenvy.(ChicagoTribune) "Therebemany,Judith,"saidhe,"whomightenvyyouyourhealthandgoodspirits."(WilliamBlack) Jealousyrequiresthreeparties,likeyou,yourneighbor,andyourhusband,whennotonlydoyouwishyouhadthatcoolcar,butyou'reworriedyourhusbandisgoingtorideoffintothesunsetinitwithoutyou.Jealousyisexcitingbecauseitshowsupinlovers'trianglesandShakespeare'splays: InShakespeare,Othelloisdoomedbyjealousy,Learbypride.(Slate) Thepeasant,madwithjealousy,endedbydrivinganawlintohischest.(FyodorDostoyevsky) Professionaljealousy,torturedartistblues,SpinalTap-ishexcessandotherclichésabound,butnobodyseemstonotice.(TheGuardian) Youcanfeelenvyaboutsomethingyoudon'thavebutwant,butyoufeeljealousyoversomethingyoualreadyhavebutareafraidoflosing,likethathusbandwho'salwayshangingoutnextdoor. Print Definition: envy Wantingwhatsomeoneelsehasandresentingthemforhavingitisenvy.Ifyourbestfriendcomestoschoolwiththesilverbackpackyou’dhadyoureyeonallsummer,youwanttobehappyforher,insteadyoufeelbitterenvy.Continuereading... Definition: jealousy Jealousyisthatunpleasantemotionyoufeelwhenyouthinksomeone’stryingtotakewhat’syours.Jealousymightcreepuponyouifsomeoneflirtswithyoursweetieorcopiesyouruniquestyle.Continuereading... MoreCommonlyConfusedWords abhorrent/aberrant accept/except ado/adieu adopt/adapt adverse/averse affect/effect afflict/inflict aggravate/irritate allot/alot allowed/aloud allude/elude allusion/illusion/delusion alter/altar alternate/alternative ambiguous/ambivalent amicable/amiable amoral/immoral amuse/bemuse anecdote/antidote appraise/apprise ascent/assent assume/presume assure/ensure/insure aural/oral/verbal aver/avow bare/bear bazaar/bizarre border/boarder breach/breech bridal/bridle broach/brooch callus/callous cannon/canon canvas/canvass capital/capitol censor/censure chord/cord cite/site/sight climactic/climatic complement/compliment compose/comprise concurrent/consecutive confident/confidant(e) connotation/denotation connote/denote conscious/conscience contemptible/contemptuous continual/continuous correlation/corollary council/counsel decent/descent/dissent definitely/definitively demur/demure desert/dessert didactic/pedantic disassemble/dissemble discomfit/discomfort discreet/discrete disillusion/dissolution disinterested/uninterested disperse/disburse dual/duel economic/economical elusive/illusive emigrate/immigrate/migrate eminent/imminent eminent/imminent/immanent empathy/sympathy endemic/epidemic entitle/title entomology/etymology envelop/envelope envy/jealousy epidemic/pandemic epigram/epigraph epitaph/epithet especially/specially exalt/exult exercise/exorcise expedient/expeditious extant/extent facetious/factious/fatuous factious/fractious faint/feint farther/further faze/phase ferment/foment fictional/fictitious/fictive figuratively/literally flair/flare flaunt/flout flounder/founder formerly/formally formidable/formative fortunate/fortuitous gambit/gamut gibe/jibe gig/jig gorilla/guerrilla grisly/gristly/grizzly hale/hail healthful/healthy hero/protagonist historic/historical hoard/horde homonym/homophone/homograph hone/home imply/infer incredible/incredulous indeterminate/indeterminable indict/indite inflammable/inflammatory ingenious/ingenuous insidious/invidious instant/instance intense/intensive/intent introvert/extrovert irony/satire/sarcasm it's/its laudable/laudatory lay/lie loath/loathe lose/loose luxuriant/luxurious mantle/mantel marital/martial mean/median/average medal/meddle/mettle metaphor/simile moral/morale morbid/moribund nauseated/nauseous naval/navel objective/subjective optimistic/pessimistic overdue/overdo palate/palette/pallet paradox/oxymoron parameter/perimeter parody/parity peak/peek/pique peddle/pedal/petal persecute/prosecute personal/personnel pitiable/pitiful/piteous/pitiless pore/pour practical/practicable pragmatic/dogmatic precede/proceed precedent/president predominate/predominant premier/premiere prescribe/proscribe pretentious/portentous principal/principle prophecy/prophesy prostate/prostrate quote/quotation rebut/refute regrettably/regretfully reluctant/reticent respectfully/respectively sac/sack scrimp/skimp sensor/censor/censer sensual/sensuous simple/simplistic slight/sleight stationary/stationery statue/statute than/then that/which their/there/they're tortuous/torturous troop/troupe turbid/turgid unconscionable/unconscious undo/undue unexceptional/unexceptionable venal/venial veracious/voracious wave/waive weather/whether/wether who/whom who's/whose wreck/wreak/reek your/you're Signupnow(it’sfree!) Whetheryou’reateacheroralearner, Vocabulary.comcanputyouoryourclass onthepathtosystematicvocabularyimprovement. Getstarted ForEveryone PlaytheChallenge VocabularyLists Dictionary CommonlyConfusedWords JoinaVocabularyJam TestPrep WordoftheDay ForEducators Classroom&SiteLicense Pricing ContactSales SuccessStories TeachingResources ProfessionalDevelopment Research Help HelpArticles/FAQ How-toVideos Webinars ContactSupport PrivacyPolicy TermsofUse Leaderboards VocabularyBowl BowlLeaders Today'sLeaders WeeklyLeaders MonthlyLeaders Connect Vocabulary.comBlog News&Events Telluswhatyouthink OurStory OurMission Team/Jobs Partnerships MyAccount Login Signup MyAccount LogOut MyLearning MyProfile Schools&Teachers MyClasses MySATRoadmap MyTOEFLRoadmap MyACTRoadmap Assignments&Activities MyLists FindaListtoLearn... CreateaNewList... MyProgress WordsI'mLearning MyTroubleWords WordsI'veMastered MyAchievements UserAdministration UserAuthentication MyAccount Makingeducationalexperiencesbetterforeveryone. IXL ComprehensiveK-12personalizedlearning RosettaStone Immersivelearningfor25languages ABCya Funeducationalgamesforkids Wyzant Trustedtutorsfor300subjects Education.com 35,000worksheets,games,andlessonplans SpanishDict Spanish-Englishdictionary,translator,andlearning Copyright©2022Vocabulary.com,Inc.,adivisionofIXLLearning• AllRightsReserved.