Basic Details
Word: Envious
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Wanting something that another person has, such as their success or belongings, and feeling unhappy that you do not have it.
Synonyms: jealous, resentful, covetous
Antonyms: content, satisfied
How to Spell Envious
Syllables: en - vi - ous
Tricky part: The y of envy turns into i before ous, so the word is envious, not envyous. Some students also leave out the i altogether and write envous.
Watch out for: envyous, envous, enveous
Memory tip: Start from envy and swap its y for an i before adding ous, exactly as fury gives furious and glory gives glorious.
Usage Examples
Example 1: Rohan felt envious when his cousin got a new bicycle for Diwali.
Example 2: Try not to be envious of a friend who wins; learn how she practised instead.
Example 3: The other shopkeepers were envious of the long queue outside Sharma Sweets.
Fun Fact
In his play Othello, Shakespeare called jealousy the green-eyed monster, and English speakers still say that a jealous person is green with envy.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. tremendus 2. mischievious 3. envious 4. rebelious
a) refusing to obey rules or authority
b) wanting what someone else has
c) fond of causing playful trouble
d) very great in size or amount
Show answer
b) wanting what someone else has. Envious keeps the i that replaces the y of envy; mischievous has no i before ous, rebellious needs two l's and tremendous needs its o.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word envious as used in the sentence:
Meera's classmates were envious of her trip to the Andaman Islands.
a) generous
b) proud
c) content
d) jealous
Show answer
d) jealous. Jealous is the everyday word for wishing you had what another person has.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
enviouse
a) i
b) e
c) n
d) o
Show answer
b) e. Nothing comes after the s of ous, just as in famous and nervous.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. An envious person who hears about a friend's success feels ____.
a) unhappy about it
b) proud of the friend
c) grateful to them
d) relaxed and calm
Show answer
a) unhappy about it
2. Which noun goes with the adjective envious?
a) envoy
b) enmity
c) entry
d) envy
Show answer
d) envy
