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Jealousy vs. Envy
Depending on who you ask, jealousy and envy are either exact synonyms, totally different words, or near-synonyms with some degree of semantic overlap and some differences. It is difficult to make the case, based on the evidence of usage that we have, for either of the first two possibilities. Both jealousy and envy are often used to indicate that a person is covetous of something that someone else has, but jealousy carries the particular sense of “zealous vigilance” and tends to be applied more exclusively to feelings of protectiveness regarding one’s own advantages or attachments. In the domain of romance, it is more commonly found than envy. If you were to say “your salt-shaker collection fills me with jealousy,” most people would take it to mean much the same thing as “your salt-shaker collection fills me with envy.” But if someone made a flirtatious comment to your partner, you would likely say that it caused you jealousy, not envy.
Examples of jealousy in a Sentence
Christina Pérez, Vogue, 12 Apr. 2025
Of course, not every moment of comparison or jealousy is an immediate red flag, Suzanne Degges-White, PhD, LCPC, a licensed counselor and chair of the department of counseling and higher education at the Northern Illinois University College of Education, tells SELF.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 10 Apr. 2025
In Latine communities, for instance, it is often taught that jealousy, isolation, and control are signs of a loving partner.
—Zameena Mejia, Refinery29, 8 Apr. 2025
Those include joy, excitement, jealousy, and confusion.
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jealousy
Cite this Entry
“Jealousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jealousy. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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jealousy
noun
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