: painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage 2 obsolete : MALICE 3 : an object of envious notice or feeling 〈his new car made him the envy of his friends〉 2envy verb en•vied; en•vy•ing (14th century) transitive verb 1 : to feel envy toward or on account of 2 obsolete : BEGRUDGE intransitive verb obsolete : to feel or show envy — en•vy•ing•ly \-vē-iŋ-lē\ adverb