envy
part of speech
noun (envy, uncountable); verb (envy, envies, envied, envying)
meaning for a pupil
1) Envy is the unhappy feeling of wanting something that someone else has, like their toys, skills or luck. tree →
2) To envy someone is to wish you had what they have. tree →
3) Someone or something that is «the envy of» others is admired and wanted by them. tree →
4) (church) Envy is one of the seven deadly sins in Christian teaching. tree →
sense in the lessons
Interpretation: Wisdom books call envy harmful. Proverbs says it is the rottenness of the bones, and tradition counts it as a sin, since the Tenth Commandment forbids coveting. In the primary lessons: In ethics and stories, envy is a feeling that can make people unkind or jealous; fairy tales like Snow White show its harm. In everyday talk «I envy you» can also be friendly: «I envy your holiday!». Phrases: «green with envy», «the envy of the class», «full of envy», «I don't envy you» (I would not like to be in your place).
examples
- For anger killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one. (Writings JOB.5.2, JPS 1917) tree →
- Envy thou not the man of violence, and choose none of his ways. (Writings PRO.3.31, JPS 1917) tree →
- A tranquil heart is the life of the flesh; but envy is the rottenness of the bones. (Writings PRO.14.30, JPS 1917) tree →
- She felt envy when her friend got a new bike. tree →
- I envy you; you get to go to the beach! tree →
- The queen was green with envy of Snow White's beauty. tree →
- Our new playground is the envy of other schools. tree →
- I don't envy him; he has three tests tomorrow. tree →
- Christians list envy among the seven deadly sins. tree →
- He tried to turn his envy into hard work. tree →
- Ducks have strong passions, whether they feel envy or pity. tree →
note
Noun (uncountable) and verb; past «envied». Adjective: envious. Envy vs jealousy: envy is wanting what another has; jealousy is often fear of losing what you have (but people often mix them). «Green with envy» is an idiom; nobody turns green.
In the corpora
- And he had possessions of flocks, and possessions of herds, and a great household; and the Philistines envied him.
- And his brethren envied him; but his father kept the saying in mind.
- Envy thou not the man of violence, and choose none of his ways.
- A tranquil heart is the life of the flesh; but envy is the rottenness of the bones.
- Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be in the fear of the LORD all the day;
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «envy» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.