How do you pronounce envious?

The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɛnviːəs/.

Where does envious come from?

It is traced to Middle English.

envious

/ˈɛnviːəs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.22 in modern English

Syllables: en-vi-ous
IPA: /ˈɛnviːəs/

Scrabble Score

Letters

Syllables

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Feeling or exhibiting envy; jealously desiring the excellence or good fortune of another; maliciously grudging.

adj

Excessively careful; cautious.

adj

Malignant; mischievous; spiteful.

Obsolete

adj

Inspiring envy.

Obsolete

Example Sentences

"an envious man, disposition, or attack; envious tongues"
"Fret not thy ſelfe becauſe of euill doers, neither bee thou enuious againſt the workers of iniquitie."
"My soul is envious of mine eye."
"for no man was ever so amorous, as to love a toad; none so envious, as to repine at the condition of the miserable"
"Each envious brier his weary legs doth scratch."
"He to him leapt, and that same envious gage / Of victors glory from him snatcht away."

Etymology

From Middle English envious, from Anglo-Norman envious, from Old French envieus, envious (modern French envieux), from Latin invidiōsus; more at envy. Doublet of invidious, borrowed directly from Latin. Displaced native Old English æfestiġ.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: *weyd-, envious, envieus, invidiōsus

Usage

Obsolete

Inflected Forms

more envious (comparative) most envious (superlative)

Derived Forms

enviously enviousness nonenvious unenvious

Frequently Paired Words

jealous

Synonyms

overcautious covetous jealous