Envy
Etymology
From Latin "invidia," from "invidere" — literally “to look upon,” from "in-" (upon) + "videre" (to see). The ancient idea is the malicious glance: to envy is to give someone the evil eye. The feeling was understood from the start as a way of looking at another person.
noun · /EN-vee/
The discontented longing for something another person has that you lack.
What it names
Reach for it when the pang is about wanting what someone else possesses — their success, looks, luck — not about fearing you’ll lose your own.
Example
Scrolling through his friend’s vacation photos, she felt a hot flush of envy she wasn’t proud of.
Related idea
The classic confusion with jealousy: envy is about wanting what you don’t have (two people); jealousy is the fear of losing what you do have to a rival (three people). You envy a colleague’s promotion; you are jealous when a rival flirts with your partner.
See also