Envious Of: Standard Pattern
Envious Of: Standard Pattern records the directly documented construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced pattern rather than inventing a broader prohibition.
Use “envious of” for wanting something another person has or feeling envy toward that person or thing.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| a person wants something another person has | envious of + person / possession / quality | Use the documented complement. |
| the meaning is jealousy about a relationship or another distinct emotion | choose wording for that meaning | Do not collapse “envious” into every sense of “jealous.” |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Are you naming the person, thing, or quality that is the object of envy?
If yes: Use “envious of.”
If no: If the meaning is not envy, choose the adjective and complement that fit the actual emotion.
Caveat: This page records the “envious of” complement and does not attempt to redefine the wider semantic relationship between “envy” and “jealousy.”
Examples
He was envious of her confidence.
The quality that prompts envy follows “of.”
They were envious of their neighbors’ larger garden.
The possessed thing is the object of envy.
I felt envious of anyone who could leave early.
The person/group that prompts the feeling follows “of.”
Further guidance
Construction
Use “envious of” for wanting something another person has or feeling envy toward that person or thing.
Style Boundary
This page records the directly documented complement and does not broaden the claim into unrelated uses of “envy” or “jealous.”
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- ENVIOUS — Cambridge English Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press & Assessment · Cambridge dictionary evidence for envious of as a documented construction.