envier: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal/Literary
Quick answer
What does “envier” mean?
A person who feels discontent or resentment towards someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck, and desires them for themselves.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person who feels discontent or resentment towards someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck, and desires them for themselves.
One who harbors a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by another's superior possessions, achievements, or advantages. The term can also imply a begrudging admiration.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The noun "envier" is rare and archaic in both varieties. Modern English overwhelmingly prefers "envious person" or simply uses the adjective. No significant regional difference in its obsolescence.
Connotations
Archaic, literary, or formal. Can sound stilted or deliberately old-fashioned.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in contemporary corpora for both BrE and AmE. Found primarily in older texts or poetic/literary contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “envier” in a Sentence
envier of [someone/something]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “envier” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He did not envier her promotion, but genuinely congratulated her.
American English
- She claimed not to envier his fancy car, but her tone suggested otherwise.
adverb
British English
- He looked envierly at the plate of desserts.
American English
- She spoke envierly of her friend's new job.
adjective
British English
- He cast an envier glance at his colleague's award.
American English
- Her envier comments about their vacation were transparent.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually unused. Modern business English would use 'competitor' or describe competitive jealousy contextually.
Academic
Rare, but may appear in literary criticism, historical texts, or psychology discussing classical archetypes.
Everyday
Not used. 'He's so jealous/envious' is the standard phrasing.
Technical
Not applicable in technical fields.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “envier”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “envier”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “envier”
- Using 'envier' in casual speech. *'She's a big envier of her sister.' (Incorrect/Natural) -> Correct: 'She's very envious of her sister.'
- Pronouncing it as /ɪnˈvaɪər/ (like 'denier'). Correct pronunciation has stress on the first syllable.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, 'envier' is very rare and considered archaic or literary. The verb 'to envy' and adjective 'envious' are standard.
Historically, 'envier' was used as a verb meaning 'to envy', but this form is now completely obsolete. The modern verb is 'envy'.
Primarily for reading older literary works or understanding nuanced, formal prose. For active use, 'envious person' or 'jealous person' is recommended.
Semantically, they are very close synonyms. The key difference is register and frequency: 'jealous person' is common in modern English, while 'envier' is archaic.
A person who feels discontent or resentment towards someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck, and desires them for themselves.
Envier is usually formal/literary in register.
Envier: in British English it is pronounced /ˈɛnvɪə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈɛnviər/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Green with envy (more common than using 'envier')”
- “The green-eyed monster”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'ENVIronment' where a jealous person (envIER) lives in a mental environment of resentment.
Conceptual Metaphor
ENVY IS A POISON / ENVY IS A BURDEN (The envier carries the poison/burden of resentment).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the most natural modern alternative to 'He was an envier of my good fortune.'?