jealous
jealous Lexical Profile
jealous Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Feeling or showing resentment and longing toward someone because of their possessions, achievements, or perceived advantages.
"She felt a sudden pang of jealous frustration when her colleague was selected for the fellowship."
Feeling or showing suspicion and fear of losing someone's exclusive affection or loyalty, especially in a romantic relationship.
"His jealous behavior whenever she spoke to old friends eventually strained their marriage."
Fiercely protective or vigilant in guarding one's rights, status, or possessions.
"The local artisans remained jealous of their traditional craft secrets and rarely shared them with outsiders."
Word Nuance & Usage
In strict traditional usage, 'jealous' refers to the fear of losing someone's affection or what one already possesses to a rival, whereas 'envious' means desiring something that belongs to someone else; however, in modern English, 'jealous' is widely used for both senses.
• Rhymes for jealous
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Old French 'jalous', from Late Latin 'zelosus' (full of zeal), ultimately from Ancient Greek 'zēlos' (zeal, ardor, or emulation), making it an etymological doublet of 'zealous'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.