Forms: 4–7 envie(n, envye, (5 invye), 4– envy. [ad. Fr. envier, corresp. to Pr. enveiar, Cat. envejar, Pg. invejar, Sp. envidiar, It. invidiare:—med.L. invidiāre, f. L. invidia ENVY sb. The older accentuation (envəi·) survived into the 17th c. and is still common dialectally, esp. in Sc.]
1. trans. To feel displeasure and ill-will at the superiority of (another person) in happiness, success, reputation, or the possession of anything desirable; to regard with discontent another’s possession of (some superior advantage that one would like to have for oneself). Also in less unfavorable sense: To wish oneself on a level with (another) in happiness or in the possession of something desirable; to wish oneself possessed of (something that another has).
a. with obj. a thing; † (rarely) with obj. clause.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Wife’s Prol., 142. I nyl nat enuye no virginitee.
1393. Gower, Conf., I. 254. Every worship is envied.
1595. W. C[larke], in Shaks. C. Praise, 15. Let other countries (sweet Cambridge) envie … thy petrarch, divine Spenser.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., III. ii. 78. I … owe no man hate, enuie no mans happinesse.
c. 1632. Poem, in Athenæum, No. 2883. 121/3. Eolus such monstrous wracks envyes.
1696. Whiston, Th. Earth, IV. (1722), 368. We have but too much reason to envy the Ancient Happiness of our Forefathers.
1728. T. Sheridan, Persius, iii. (1739), 49. Do not envy that the wealthy Lawyer increases his Stores beyond you by Knavery and Oppression.
1857. Ruskin, Pol. Econ. Art, 4. A power not indeed to be envied, because it seldom makes us happy.
b. with obj. a person.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 115. Thou shalt … mollifye his herte that enuyeth the.
1562. J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 26. Better be enuied than pitied, folke sey.
1613. Shaks., Hen. VIII., II. ii. 125. They will not sticke to say, you enuide him.
1741. C. Middleton, Cicero, II. X. 410. I envy him for walking, and joking with you.
1841–4. Emerson, Ess., viii. Heroism, Wks. (Bohn), I. 110. Who does not envy those who have seen safely to an end their manful endeavour?
1872. Ruskin, Eagle’s N., § 34. We may be envied, but shall not be praised, for having been allowed [etc.].
c. with double obj., person and thing.
1797. Mrs. Radcliffe, Italian, II. i. 20. I envy your friend those tears.
1807. Crabbe, Par. Reg., I. 554. Ah! much I envy thee thy boys.
† 2. To feel a grudge against (a person); to regard (a person or an action) with dislike or disapproval. Obs.
1557. North, trans. Gueuara’s Diall Pr., 105 b/2. I knowe well, Faustine, that for that I haue sayed … thou and others suche lyke, shall greatlye enuye me.
1577. Northbrooke, Dicing (1843), 163. Bicause you are aged, and nowe are not able to doe as other yong men and women do, and this maketh you to enuy it so much.
1602. Warner, Alb. Eng., Epit. 389. Much was this distraction of Regalitie from Richard the second, enuied by those of his Line and Affinitie.
1630. R. Johnson, Kingd. & Commw., 553. The Grand Seignior doth much envie him [Emir of Sidon] for suffering the Florentines to harbour and water within his Port of Tyrus.
† b. ? To injure; cf. ENVY sb. 2. Obs. rare.
1621. Fletcher, Pilgrim, II. i. If I make a lie To gain your love, and envy my best mistress, Pin me against a wall.
† 3. trans. To grudge, give reluctantly, refuse to give (a thing) to (a person); to begrudge (a thing); to treat (a person) grudgingly. Also absol.
1575–85. Abp. Sandys, Serm. (1841), 217. God hath not envied us: he oweth us nothing, but he giveth us much.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., III. v. 50. But that sweet Cordiall … She did to him envy.
1616. Surfl. & Markh., Countrey Farme, 83. The dung of Peacockes is verie soueraigne against the diseases of the eyes, if it may be found: but the Peacock so much enuieth the good of man, that he eateth his owne dung.
1667. Milton, P. L., VIII. 494. Thou has fulfill’d Thy words, Creator bounteous … nor enviest. Ibid., IV. 517. Why should thir Lord envie them that?
1693. Dryden, Ess. Satire, Wks. 1821, XIII. 5. Jonson, who by studying Horace, had been acquainted with the rules, yet seemed to envy to posterity that knowledge.
1707. Curios. in Husb. & Gard., 25. We ought … to make our own Advantage of that Knowledge, and not to envy it to others.
1770. Langhorne, Plutarch (1879), II. 785/2. Thou enviedst me the glory of giving thee thy life.
† b. With clause as obj.: To grudge that (something should take place). Obs.
c. 1430. Lydg., Story Thebes, III. For euery man of high and lowe degree Enuieth now, that other should thrive.
1548. Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. John, 40 b. Enuying that God shoulde haue his owne prayse and glory.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., I. F 4 b. Antiquity enuieth there should be new additions.
1663. Butler, Hud., I. II. 65.
| Until Magnano, who did envy | |
| That two should with so many men vye. |
1682. D’Urfey, Butler’s Ghost, 176. Envying that he should ground his fame on Deeds so Essential to his Honour.
† 4. intr. To have envious, grudging or malevolent feelings. Sometimes with the occasion of the feeling expressed by inf. To envy at = senses 1–3. Obs.
1477. Earl Rivers, Dictes, 52. To be envied at of mightier men then he is.
1549. Coverdale, Erasm. Par. Gal. iv. 30. Whose libertie they enuye at.
1595. Shaks., John, III. iv. 73. But now I enuie at their libertie.
1649. Milton, Eikon., 30. The king envying to see the Peoples love devolv’d on another object.
1656. Cowley, Pindaric Odes, Life & Fame (1687), ii. Oh Life! that epicures envy to hear!
1658. J. Coles, Cleopatra, VII. 271. Those to whom this fortune is denied have so much cause to envie at it [etc.].
a. 1677. Barrow, Serm. (1810), II. 227. Envying at those who have more worldly advantages.
a. 1700. Dryden, Pal. & Arc., iii. Envy’d to behold The Names of others, not their own inroll’d.
† b. To be jealous for another. Obs. rare–1.
1382. Wyclif, Numb. xi. 29. What, he seith, enuyest thow for me [Vulg. æmularis pro me].
