We’ll Teach You the Difference Between Jealousy and Envy
Did you know that envy and jealousy actually have two distinct meanings? Envy is “the painful feeling of wanting what someone else has, like attributes or possessions.” Jealousy, on the other hand, means you feel “threatened, protective, or fearful of losing one’s position or situation to someone else.”
Envy vs jealousy
Many people interchange the words envy and jealousy without causing much confusion. For example, you can say “Joshua is envious” or “Joshua is jealous,” and your audience will most likely understand the message you’re trying to convey.
However, these two words technically have different meanings. Read on if you want to use these words precisely and make your friends envious that you know the difference.
What does envy mean?
Envy is the longing to have what someone else has, whether it be attributes or possessions. It requires only two parties—you and someone else. For example, you may envy another student because they got a good grade on the exam and you didn’t.
Envy can be used as a noun or a verb, and the adjective form of envy is envious.
I envied John because he got a bike for Christmas and I didn’t. [verb]
After the ceremony, I was envious of all of Gaby’s accolades. [adjective]
What does jealousy mean?
Jealousy means “to feel threatened, insecure, or protective of something you already have (especially in a romantic sense).” So while envy requires only two parties, jealousy requires three. For example, you might feel jealous of your best friend’s new friend because you feel as if you might get replaced.
Jealous is the adjective form of this word, and jealousy is the noun form. Note that there is no verb form.
I couldn’t handle all the jealousy, so after five years of marriage, I asked for a divorce.
Jealous vs envious
The ambiguity between these two words comes from the fact that the word jealous can sometimes take the place of envious without altering the meaning of the sentence. In the examples below, both words seem to mean the same thing.
The other employees are jealous of the new employee’s success.
On the other hand, envious cannot take the place of jealous without changing the meaning of the sentence. In the examples below, the difference in meaning is more noticeable.
He is an envious boyfriend.
What you have to remember to use these words correctly and precisely is this: Envy is the shorter word, and it requires only two parties. It means you want what someone else has. Jealousy is the longer word, and it requires at least three parties. It means you feel threatened or suspicious that someone might take what you already have.
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