jealous

adjective

ˈje-ləs How to pronounce jealous (audio)
Definition of jealousnext
1
as in possessive
intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness a boyfriend who became jealous whenever she paid attention to anyone but him

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in envious
having or showing mean resentment of another's possessions or advantages was jealous of his friend's great popularity with the girls

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of jealous Panthea then gets angry at Karen, saying that Karen is jealous of her and her relationship with her husband. — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2026 Jodie is jealous of my friendship with these siblings and is trying to sabotage it by doing background checks on them to reveal any sordid thing that has happened to them or their kids. — R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026 Sorensen allegedly admitted to sideswiping 20-year-old Jonathan Langdon's motorcycle while in a jealous rage, according to court records. — Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026 One person interviewed by the Garfield County sheriff’s deputy who investigated the incidents said videos were taken and shared back and forth to make others jealous. — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for jealous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jealous
  1. possessive
  2. envious
  3. covetous
  4. resentful
  5. malicious
Adjective
  • The friends told police that Benedict had become possessive of Pitulic, and had accused her of cheating.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 July 2026
  • But needy, possessive Nikki smothers Bear, and what plays out is a horrifying tale of obsessive love gone wrong — sour, curdled and violent.
    — Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 23 May 2026
Definition of possessive
Adjective
  • During a recent episode of his and Dana Carvey’s Fly on the Wall podcast, the 62-year-old explained how being envious of other Saturday Night Live cast members pushed him to become a better comedian.
    — Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Aug. 2026
  • To hear the National Weather Service tell it, a postcard weather picture awaits the Bay Area this weekend — the kind that makes those who live outside the region a bit envious from afar.
    — Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of envious
Adjective
  • Starring Elordi and Barry Keoghan, Fennell’s dark comedy about class resentment and covetous destruction was sold on the promise of erotic excess.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Feb. 2026
  • For most players, that amount of storage is realistically enough for all but the most covetous data hoarders.
    — Matt Kamen, Wired News, 3 Aug. 2025
Definition of covetous
Adjective
  • By gradually accomplishing a de-facto annexation of the West Bank, the settlements would require Israeli Jews either to rule over a resentful non-Jewish population of about equal size or to surrender the Jewish identity of their state.
    — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Thus, our heroes must peel themselves off from the couch and go on the run with their resentful felines Dio and GG bouncing along in backpacks.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of resentful
Adjective
  • That leaves a short window during which malicious activity can contaminate the prediction machinery again.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
  • An attacker can then register the site and plant malicious instructions on it.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of malicious

Browse Nearby Words

jazzy
jealous
jealously
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Jealous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jealous. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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