I would like to know why so many people rather use "jealousy" than "envy" these days, even though the two are different things. "Envy" seems to disappear slowly but surely from the English language, even in schoolbooks.

Jealous:

1. Fearful or wary of being supplanted; apprehensive of losing affection or position.

2.
a. Resentful or bitter in rivalry; envious: jealous of the success of others.
b. Inclined to suspect rivalry.

Envy:

1.
a. A feeling of discontent and resentment aroused by and in conjunction with desire for the possessions or qualities of another.
b. The object of such feeling: Their new pool made them the envy of their neighbors.


I use both and most people I know use them correctly as well. I don't see "envy" disappearing from the English language at all.

JustErin said:

I'm jealous of the fact that you respond to other people's orgnotes faster than mine.

violator said:

Oh fuck....

JustErin said:[quote]Jealous:

1. Fearful or wary of being supplanted; apprehensive of losing affection or position.

2.
a. Resentful or bitter in rivalry; envious: jealous of the success of others.
b. Inclined to suspect rivalry.

Envy:

1.
a. A feeling of discontent and resentment aroused by and in conjunction with desire for the possessions or qualities of another.
b. The object of such feeling: Their new pool made them the envy of their neighbors.

What I meant is that a lot of people would say " I´m jealous. " when someone has , for instance, bought a nice car when it actually should be "I´m envious." because a car is a possession, according to point 1. a).
Right ?
Also, I didn´t know that using the adjective "jealous" can be used in a context of rivalry and competition. I knew that people use it but I thought that this was a comparatively new phenomenon because I thought that a feeling of bitterness or rivalry would rather be expressed with "being envious" instead of "jealous". Never knew that "jealous" could officially be used in situations other than relationships/love.

So, according to 2. a), one could use both, envious OR jealous in a context of rivalry and competition ? I really thought that that was more colloquial and not really officially correct because I learned that you only use "jealous" and "jealousy" in situations where one is worried about losing affection, not in a context of rivalry, and that using it in that context is pretty common but not really legit. Did this change recently ? ( i.e. in the past two decades ?)
Thanks !

I've always considered envious and jealous as interchangeable. Since I was a child. I never knew they were two different things.

CarrieMpls said:

See ? That´s what I mean. Grammar books say that they are not really the same and I´m getting a bit confused here.

KoolEaze said:[quote]

JustErin said:

I usually just use "jealous" when I am upset about something (or someone) that I consider to be mine in one way or another being used by someone else.

e.g. Jealous of the time she gets to spend with him. He's mine!

And "envious" when I am upset over something someone else has that I want.

e.g. Envious of her hot body.

JustErin said:[quote]

KoolEaze said:

That´s exactly the way I use those words. Thanks for the info.

what???

shanti0608 said:

shanti0608 said:

He is, but it's still not true .

And to answer the question, yes it has happened to me. I only remember it happened to me twice, but I guess it might have happened more often without me noticing it. I didn't even see it one of the 2 times it happened, but someone else had to point it out to me.

Serious said:

Were you surprised when you found out?

shanti0608 said:

Yeah totally. Both times, I couldn't believe it. That's why I didn't even realize it one of the times.

Serious said:

I envy your beautiful eyes and your sense of style but I love you so I am not jealous of it, well not in a mean way.

shanti0608 said:

Awww thank you. I am jealous of your hair and ass, but not in a mean way of course .

i haven't, but i do recognize just regular jackasses when i see em.

nobody is jealous of me that I know of and I really don't mind that.

A girl was, back in high school because I had a car (cause my grandma died and left one) , but she got over it

thekidsgirl said:

...because you ran her over? J/K!!

reneGade20 said:

shanti0608 said:

always have experience tht people treat me unfairly cos of what l am being a different person to them and is mean to me for no reason and most of time they either be envious or jealous of me....l have experience tht ....dont knw why ..... but theres no need for them to feel like tht.... lm glad the good lord is my shelter... and my angels protects me ....

i've been on the receiving end of that, sure. it's ridiculous. i'd rather they just come out and tell me they're jealous of me, so i can give them 100 reasons why they have no reason whatsoever to be one bit jealous of my life.

Anxiety said:

Oh, please. Your life looks like this:



Who wouldn't be jealous??

FunkMistress said:

actually, my life looks more like this:

KoolEaze said:

Envy is when you want some thing that someone else has. Jealousy is about wanting someone and thinking for various reasons they don't want you. It's more than just anger. It's related to the word "zealotry," meaning it's an emotion that is all consuming and can get out of control. (See P&R for examples of zealotry.)

InOthello you can see both of these emotions. Iago is envious of Othello's position and respect etc. and so he stirs up Othello's jealousy by planting seeds of doubt about Desdemona that makes him see reality as something very different than what it is.

The tragic emotion in the play is jealousy.

James Joyce talks about how jealousy is imagining the genitalia of someone you love in contact with someone else, or something like that, an idea he gets from Spinoza.

Jealousy is one of the most fascinating emotions.

i think envy is the friendlier...or healthier?...of the two emotions, by far.

i'm envious of a lot of people for a lot of reasons, but it doesn't make me like them any less. it's more like a "you lucky bastard" kinda fleeting feeling. it's healthy to me. a kind of admiration, i guess.

jealousy is just downright toxic. i try to weed my garden of jealousy as best i can.

Anxiety said:

I almost never experience envy.

But I have a jealous streak that's totally irrational and makes me feel awful when it rears its claws.

2the9s said:

Just the mention of that is almost enough to make me see red and deeply yearn to literally tear someone apart with my bare fucking hands.

An imaginary someone, because they don't exist.

I doubt that's healthy.

I don't think so, unless my sister envies me or something

I found out a few years after I graduated that one of my so-called friends had been jealous of me for whatever reason. it turns out she'd been the source of alot of the lies, untruths and had just pretended to be my friend...I was floored.