envy
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Middle English envie, from Old French envie, from Latin invidia (“envy”), from invidere (“to look at with malice”), from in- (“on, upon”) + videre (“to look, see”).
Displaced native Old English æfest.
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
envy (countable and uncountable, plural envies)
- Resentful desire of something possessed by another or others (but not limited to material possessions). [from 13th c.]
- 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost, Samuel Simmons, line 263–264:
- No bliss enjoyed by us excites his envy more.
- 1804, Alexander Pope, The Poetical Works of Alexander Pope, page 71:
- Envy, to which the ignoble mind's a slave,
Is emulation in the learned or brave.
- Envy, to which the ignoble mind's a slave,
- 1914, Louis Joseph Vance, Nobody, page 9:
- distilling therefrom an acid envy that robbed her napoleon of all its savour.
- 1983, Stanley Rosen, Plato's Sophist: The Drama of Original and Image, page 66:
- Theodorus assures Socrates that no envy will prevent the Stranger from responding
- 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost, Samuel Simmons, line 263–264:
- An object of envious notice or feeling.
- 1843, Thomas Macaulay, Critical and Miscellaneous Essays, Carey & Hart, page 277:
- This constitution in former days used to be the envy of the world[.]
- 2008, Lich King, "Black Metal Sucks", Toxic Zombie Onslaught.
- Blacke Foryst of Despayr, taking photos of the band
Put 'em up on Myspace you're the envy of the land
- 1843, Thomas Macaulay, Critical and Miscellaneous Essays, Carey & Hart, page 277:
- (obsolete) Hatred, enmity, ill-feeling. [14th–18th c.]
- 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “lij”, in Le Morte Darthur, book X:
- Syre said laūcelot vnto Arthur by this crye that ye haue made ye wyll put vs that ben aboute yow in grete Ieopardy
for there be many Knyghtes that haue grete enuye to vs
therfore whan we shal mete at the daye of Iustes there wille be hard skyfte amonge vs- (please add an English translation of this quote)
- 1598, William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part 1:
- But let me tell the World,
If he out-liue the enuie of this day,
England did neuer owe so sweet a hope,
So much misconstrued in his Wantonnesse.
- (obsolete) Emulation; rivalry.
- c. 1631-1636, John Ford, The Fancies Chaste and Noble
- Such as cleanliness and decency
Prompt to a virtuous envy.
- Such as cleanliness and decency
- c. 1631-1636, John Ford, The Fancies Chaste and Noble
- (obsolete) Public odium; ill repute.
- 1611, Ben[jamin] Jonson, Catiline His Conspiracy, London: […] [William Stansby?] for Walter Burre, OCLC 1048971098, (please specify |act=I to V):
- to lay the envy of the war upon Cicero
Translations[edit]
resentful desire of something possessed by another
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Verb[edit]
envy (third-person singular simple present envies, present participle envying, simple past and past participle envied)
- (transitive) To feel displeasure or hatred towards (someone) for their good fortune or possessions. [from 14th c.]
- (obsolete, intransitive) To have envious feelings (at). [15th-18th c.]
- 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, OCLC 54573970, partition II, section 3, member 3:
- I do not envy at their wealth, titles, offices; […] let me live quiet and at ease.
- 1651, Jer[emy] Taylor, The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Francis Ashe […], OCLC 1203220866:
- Who envy at the prosperity of the wicked?
- (obsolete, transitive) To give (something) to (someone) grudgingly or reluctantly; to begrudge. [16th–18th c.]
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Qveene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for VVilliam Ponsonbie, OCLC 960102938, book III, canto v:
- But that sweet Cordiall, which can restore
A loue-sick hart, she did to him enuy […].
- (obsolete) To show malice or ill will; to rail.
- c. 1608–1609, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act III, scene iii]:
- He has […] envied against the people.
- (obsolete) To do harm to; to injure; to disparage.
- c. 1621, John Fletcher; Philip Massinger, “The Pilgrim”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, OCLC 3083972, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
- If I make a lie
To gain your love and envy my best mistress,
Put me against a wall.
- (obsolete) To hate.
- c. 1589–1590, Christopher Marlo[we], Tho[mas] Heywood, editor, The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Ievv of Malta. […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Nicholas Vavasour, […], published 1633, OCLC 1121318438, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals):
- Both jealous of my love, envied each other
- (obsolete) To emulate.
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Qveene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for VVilliam Ponsonbie, OCLC 960102938, book 3, canto 1:
- Let later age that noble vse enuie,
Vile rancour to auoid, and cruell surquedrie
Related terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
to feel displeasure towards (someone) because of their good fortune, possessions
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Anagrams[edit]
Middle English[edit]
Noun[edit]
envy
- Alternative form of envie
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