Idioms are fun phrases that mean something different from the literal words you say. People use them every day to make talking and writing much more colorful and exciting. In this lesson, you will learn a wonderful collection of idioms related to feeling jealous and wanting what someone else has.
In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms for jealous that mean feeling envious, watching others with desire, and wishing for their success. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Idioms for Jealousy
1. Green-eyed monster
Meaning: This idiom describes the strong, green-eyed feeling of jealousy that takes over your thoughts.
For Example: When his friend got a brand new bicycle, the green-eyed monster made him feel a bit envious. / Letting the green-eyed monster take control ruins the fun of playing together.
Other Ways to Say: Envious feeling / Jealousy
2. Sick with envy
Meaning: This idiom means feeling so intensely jealous of someone’s success that it makes you feel unwell.
For Example: Winning the art trophy made the other competitors feel sick with envy. / Seeing her win the prize left him feeling sick with envy.
Other Ways to Say: Extremely envious / Very jealous
3. Keep up with the Joneses
Meaning: This idiom means trying to buy or achieve whatever your neighbors have out of jealousy.
For Example: Buying a new lawnmower just because the neighbor did is trying to keep up with the Joneses. / Do not worry about trying to keep up with the Joneses and just be happy.
Other Ways to Say: Copy neighbors / Compete with peers
4. Covet thy neighbor’s ox
Meaning: This idiom comes from traditional stories meaning wanting the belongings that belong to someone else.
For Example: Looking at his cool video game console made him covet thy neighbor’s ox. / Be happy with your own toys rather than covet thy neighbor’s ox.
Other Ways to Say: Want others’ things / Envy possessions
5. Eat your heart out
Meaning: This idiom means feeling so jealous of someone’s success that it drives you crazy.
For Example: He showed off his new trophy and told his rival to eat his heart out. / Seeing her delicious dessert made everyone else eat their hearts out.
Other Ways to Say: Feel extremely envious / Be jealous
6. Sour grapes
Meaning: This idiom means pretending you do not want something valuable because you cannot have it out of jealousy.
For Example: When he didn’t win the prize, he claimed the toy was boring anyway, but that was just sour grapes. / Saying sports are stupid just because you lost is sour grapes.
Other Ways to Say: Fake dislike / Jealous complaint
7. Born with a silver spoon in your mouth
Meaning: This idiom describes someone who is born into wealth, which can sometimes spark jealousy in others.
For Example: Living in a giant mansion made people think he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. / Do not judge others as if they were born with a silver spoon in their mouths.
Other Ways to Say: Born rich / Privileged
8. Eye up
Meaning: This idiom means looking closely and enviously at something someone else owns.
For Example: He kept trying to eye up my new colored pencils during art class. / Stop trying to eye up my lunchbox and eat your own sandwich.
Other Ways to Say: Glance enviously / Look greedily
9. Covetous glance
Meaning: This idiom describes looking at someone else’s possessions with intense, jealous desire.
For Example: She cast a covetous glance at her sister’s shiny new necklace. / Giving a covetous glance at other people’s toys is unhelpful.
Other Ways to Say: Envious look / Jealous stare
10. Longing look
Meaning: This idiom describes staring at something you desperately wish you had for yourself.
For Example: He gave a longing look toward the delicious bakery window display. / She cast a longing look at the toy shelf.
Other Ways to Say: Envious stare / Desiring gaze
11. Wishful thinking
Meaning: This idiom describes hoping something is true out of jealousy or desire, even if it is unlikely.
For Example: Expecting to win the raffle without buying a ticket is just wishful thinking. / Hoping your friend shares his new game is wishful thinking.
Other Ways to Say: Hopeful dreaming / Unrealistic desire
12. Green with envy
Meaning: This idiom describes someone whose face looks practically green because they are so intensely jealous.
For Example: When she saw my new roller skates, she turned green with envy. / Winning the grand prize left the other players green with envy.
Other Ways to Say: Extremely envious / Very jealous
13. Covetous eyes
Meaning: This idiom describes looking at someone else’s achievements with jealous ambition.
For Example: He looked at the winning science project with covetous eyes. / Keeping covetous eyes on other students’ grades causes unhappiness.
Other Ways to Say: Envious gaze / Jealous looks
14. Envious streak
Meaning: This idiom describes having a personality trait where you often get jealous of peers.
For Example: She had a small envious streak whenever her sister received gifts. / Working on gratitude helps cure an envious streak.
Other Ways to Say: Jealous habit / Envious tendency
15. Jealous bone
Meaning: This idiom describes the part of your personality that feels envious when others succeed.
For Example: He didn’t have a single jealous bone in his body when his friend won. / Rejoicing for others means removing any jealous bone from your thoughts.
Other Ways to Say: Envious feeling / Jealous spark
16. Dog in the manger
Meaning: This idiom describes someone who is selfishly jealous and will not let others use something they don’t even want.
For Example: He wouldn’t play with the basketball, but he wouldn’t let anyone else use it either, acting like a dog in the manger. / Sharing toys prevents you from being a dog in the manger.
Other Ways to Say: Selfishly jealous / Unsharing person
17. Envy of the town
Meaning: This idiom describes someone or something so wonderful that everyone feels jealous of it.
For Example: The brand new treehouse became the envy of the town among all the kids. / Winning the science fair made her project the envy of the town.
Other Ways to Say: Most desired / Widely envied
18. Keep tabs on
Meaning: This idiom can mean watching someone closely out of jealous curiosity or suspicion.
For Example: He liked to keep tabs on what toys his friends were buying. / Watching your peers constantly out of envy is exhausting.
Other Ways to Say: Watch closely / Monitor
19. Covet
Meaning: This idiom or action word means wanting something that belongs to another person very badly.
For Example: Do not covet your classmate’s new art supplies. / Learning to appreciate your own items stops you from trying to covet others’ things.
Other Ways to Say: Desire enviously / Want badly
20. Envy
Meaning: This idiom or descriptive word means feeling unhappy because someone else has what you want.
For Example: Watching the team win filled him with envy for a moment. / Overcoming envy brings peace to your mind.
Other Ways to Say: Jealousy / Covetousness
21. Jealousy
Meaning: This idiom describes the bitter feeling you get when someone else succeeds or gets attention.
For Example: Jealousy can ruin friendships if you let it control your thoughts. / Happy people try to replace jealousy with kindness.
Other Ways to Say: Envy / Bitterness
22. Covetousness
Meaning: This idiom describes a strong, wrongful desire for another person’s wealth or possessions.
For Example: Stories often warn against the dangers of greed and covetousness. / Being thankful cures feelings of covetousness.
Other Ways to Say: Extreme envy / Greediness
23. Resentment
Meaning: This idiom describes feeling angry and bitter because of perceived unfairness or jealousy.
For Example: Holding onto resentment because someone else won the award hurts your own happiness. / Clear communication helps clear away resentment.
Other Ways to Say: Bitterness / Ill will
24. Bitterness
Meaning: This idiom describes a sharp, angry feeling of envy that lingers in your heart.
For Example: Letting go of bitterness allows you to celebrate your friends’ victories. / Unchecked jealousy turns into deep bitterness.
Other Ways to Say: Resentment / Envious anger
25. Malice
Meaning: This idiom describes a desire to harm someone out of deep jealousy or anger.
For Example: Her unkind gossip came from a place of pure malice and envy. / Treat everyone with kindness instead of acting with malice.
Other Ways to Say: Ill will / Spitefulness
26. Spite
Meaning: This idiom describes petty anger and a desire to annoy someone out of jealousy.
For Example: He hid her paintbrush just out of spite and envy. / Acting out of spite solves nothing.
Other Ways to Say: Malice / Vindictiveness
27. Coveted prize
Meaning: This idiom describes an award or item that everyone in the competition feels jealous to win.
For Example: The gold cup was the most coveted prize in the school tournament. / Winning the coveted prize took months of hard work.
Other Ways to Say: Most wanted award / Desired prize
28. Most sought after
Meaning: This idiom describes an item or role that everyone envies and wants to get.
For Example: The lead role in the play was the most sought after position. / Getting the newest video game made it the most sought after toy.
Other Ways to Say: Highly desired / Most popular
29. Object of envy
Meaning: This idiom describes someone or something that makes everyone else feel jealous.
For Example: Her brand new bicycle became the object of envy on the street. / Winning the art contest made his painting the object of envy.
Other Ways to Say: Envied item / Source of jealousy
30. Eyeing enviously
Meaning: This idiom means looking at someone’s belongings with a jealous expression.
For Example: He sat on the bench eyeing enviously the snacks his friends were eating. / Stop eyeing enviously my comic books and get your own.
Other Ways to Say: Staring jealously / Looking greedily
31. Covetous gaze
Meaning: This idiom describes looking at another person’s success with hungry, envious eyes.
For Example: He cast a covetous gaze toward the champion’s gold medal. / Keeping a covetous gaze on other people’s rewards brings no joy.
Other Ways to Say: Envious look / Jealous stare
32. Green glance
Meaning: This idiom jokingly describes a look full of pure jealousy and envy.
For Example: She gave her rival a green glance when the score was announced. / A quick green glance showed how much he wanted that prize.
Other Ways to Say: Jealous look / Envious stare
33. Envious eye
Meaning: This idiom means watching someone’s success or possessions with jealousy.
For Example: He kept an envious eye on his brother’s new skateboard. / Looking at achievements with an envious eye ruins happiness.
Other Ways to Say: Jealous watch / Envious gaze
34. Jealous streak
Meaning: This idiom describes a recurring tendency to feel envious of peers.
For Example: Having a jealous streak makes it hard to be a supportive teammate. / Working on kindness helps overcome a jealous streak.
Other Ways to Say: Envious habit / Jealous tendency
35. Bittersweet envy
Meaning: This idiom describes feeling happy for a friend while also feeling a bit jealous inside.
For Example: Watching her win the spelling bee gave him a sense of bittersweet envy. / Achieving success often brings bittersweet envy from rivals.
Other Ways to Say: Mixed feelings / Jealous admiration
36. Jealous glare
Meaning: This idiom describes looking angrily and enviously at someone who succeeded.
For Example: He shot a jealous glare across the room when the winner was named. / Receiving a jealous glare didn’t stop her from celebrating.
Other Ways to Say: Envious look / Angry stare
37. Covetous desire
Meaning: This idiom describes wanting someone else’s possessions with strong, envious craving.
For Example: Seeing the shiny new bicycle stirred a covetous desire in him. / Learning contentment cures covetous desire.
Other Ways to Say: Envious craving / Jealous longing
38. Envious comparison
Meaning: This idiom describes comparing yourself to others and feeling jealous of their achievements.
For Example: Making an envious comparison between your grades and your friend’s grades brings unhappiness. / Stop making envious comparison and focus on your growth.
Other Ways to Say: Jealous measuring / Comparing out of envy
39. Jealous heart
Meaning: This idiom describes an emotional state filled with envy and bitterness toward others.
For Example: A jealous heart finds it hard to cheer for someone else’s victory. / Cultivating gratitude heals a jealous heart.
Other Ways to Say: Envious soul / Jealous spirit
40. Green-eyed monster awakening
Meaning: This idiom describes the moment when feelings of jealousy suddenly start growing inside you.
For Example: Seeing the new gaming console caused a green-eyed monster awakening in him. / Fighting the green-eyed monster awakening takes emotional strength.
Other Ways to Say: Jealousy starting / Envy rising
41. Poisonous envy
Meaning: This idiom describes extreme jealousy that ruins relationships and personal happiness.
For Example: Letting poisonous envy take root destroys lifelong friendships. / Guard your thoughts against poisonous envy.
Other Ways to Say: Toxic jealousy / Destructive envy
42. Hating from the sidelines
Meaning: This idiom describes feeling jealous of someone’s success instead of working hard yourself.
For Example: Don’t sit there hating from the sidelines; cheer for your classmates. / Working hard is better than hating from the sidelines out of envy.
Other Ways to Say: Envy from afar / Jealous complaining
43. Keeping score out of envy
Meaning: This idiom describes constantly comparing who has more things out of jealousy.
For Example: Friendships fail when you spend time keeping score out of envy. / Stop keeping score out of envy and enjoy your own hobbies.
Other Ways to Say: Comparing possessions / Jealous tallying
44. Coveting what isn’t yours
Meaning: This idiom means wanting items or achievements belonging to other people.
For Example: Happiness comes from gratitude, not from coveting what isn’t yours. / Stop coveting what isn’t yours and appreciate your gifts.
Other Ways to Say: Wanting others’ things / Envious longing
45. Envious thoughts
Meaning: This idiom describes thinking about how much better someone else’s life seems.
For Example: Pushing away envious thoughts helps you feel much more content. / Envious thoughts fade when you practice thankfulness.
Other Ways to Say: Jealous ideas / Envious mind
46. Jealous whisper
Meaning: This idiom describes talking behind someone’s back out of envy or spite.
For Example: Hearing a jealous whisper in the hallway made her feel sad. / Ignore every jealous whisper and keep doing your best.
Other Ways to Say: Envious gossip / Jealous murmur
47. Envious whisperer
Meaning: This idiom describes someone who spreads gossip out of jealousy.
For Example: Do not listen to an envious whisperer trying to ruin your mood. / The envious whisperer tried to discredit the winner.
Other Ways to Say: Jealous gossip / Envious talker
48. Jealous streak flare-up
Meaning: This idiom describes a sudden burst of envious behavior toward a peer.
For Example: Seeing the award ceremony caused a brief jealous streak flare-up. / Managing your emotions prevents a jealous streak flare-up.
Other Ways to Say: Envious outburst / Jealous moment
49. Green-eyed feeling
Meaning: This idiom describes the mild sensation of envy when a friend gets something cool.
For Example: He had a brief green-eyed feeling when she opened her new art set. / Overcoming a green-eyed feeling takes maturity.
Other Ways to Say: Envious sensation / Jealous twinge
50. Covetous urge
Meaning: This idiom describes a sudden impulse to take or want something belonging to someone else.
For Example: Seeing the delicious snack sparked a covetous urge in him. / Controlling your covetous urge shows great self-discipline.
Other Ways to Say: Envious impulse / Jealous desire
51. Envious stare
Meaning: This idiom describes looking fixedly at someone’s belongings with jealousy.
For Example: He fixed an envious stare on his friend’s new bicycle. / Meeting an envious stare with a smile helps clear the air.
Other Ways to Say: Jealous look / Covetous gaze
52. Jealous bite
Meaning: This idiom describes the sharp, painful feeling of envy in your chest.
For Example: Watching the trophy presentation felt like a jealous bite to his pride. / Overcoming the jealous bite takes practice.
Other Ways to Say: Envious pang / Jealous twinge
53. Envious pang
Meaning: This idiom describes a sudden, sharp wave of jealousy hitting your emotions.
For Example: She felt an envious pang when her rival won the art prize. / Pushing past an envious pang lets you congratulate your friend.
Other Ways to Say: Jealous twinge / Sharp envy
54. Green-eyed glare
Meaning: This idiom describes looking angrily at someone because of intense envy.
For Example: He gave the winner a green-eyed glare before walking away. / Ignoring a green-eyed glare is best.
Other Ways to Say: Jealous look / Envious stare
55. Envious murmur
Meaning: This idiom describes quiet complaining or jealous remarks spoken in a group.
For Example: An envious murmur rippled through the crowd when the prize was handed out. / Silence the envious murmur with applause for the winner.
Other Ways to Say: Jealous whisper / Envious comment
56. Jealous grip
Meaning: This idiom describes how jealousy tightly controls your thoughts and mood.
For Example: Breaking free from the jealous grip of envy brings true happiness. / Do not let jealousy take a jealous grip on your mind.
Other Ways to Say: Envious hold / Jealous control
57. Envious shadow
Meaning: This idiom describes how jealousy dims your own achievements by focusing on others.
For Example: Living in an envious shadow prevents you from shining yourself. / Step out of the envious shadow and celebrate your own success.
Other Ways to Say: Jealous cloud / Envious darkness
58. Jealous cloud
Meaning: This idiom describes a gloomy mood caused by feeling envious of a peer.
For Example: A jealous cloud hung over him after he lost the game. / Sunshine and gratitude clear away a jealous cloud.
Other Ways to Say: Envious mood / Gloomy jealousy
59. Envious trap
Meaning: This idiom describes getting stuck constantly comparing yourself to others out of jealousy.
For Example: Falling into the envious trap of comparison stops you from enjoying hobbies. / Escape the envious trap by focusing on your own path.
Other Ways to Say: Comparison trap / Jealous cycle
60. Green-eyed spell
Meaning: This idiom describes being temporarily hypnotized and controlled by feelings of envy.
For Example: Breaking the green-eyed spell required him to take a deep breath and smile. / Do not let a green-eyed spell ruin your friendship.
Other Ways to Say: Jealous trance / Envious spell
Exercise to Practice
- When his friend got a brand new bicycle, the ________ made him feel a bit envious.
- Winning the art trophy made the other competitors feel ________.
- Buying a new lawnmower just because the neighbor did is trying to ________.
- Looking at his cool video game console made him ________.
- He showed off his new trophy and told his rival to ________.
- When he didn’t win the prize, he claimed the toy was boring anyway, but that was just ________.
- Living in a giant mansion made people think he was ________.
- He kept trying to ________ my new colored pencils during art class.
- She cast a ________ at her sister’s shiny new necklace.
- He gave a ________ toward the delicious bakery window display.
- Expecting to win the raffle without buying a ticket is just ________.
- When she saw my new roller skates, she turned ________.
- He looked at the winning science project with ________.
- She had a small ________ whenever her sister received gifts.
- He didn’t have a single ________ in his body when his friend won.
Answer Key
- green-eyed monster
- sick with envy
- keep up with the joneses
- covet thy neighbor’s ox
- eat your heart out
- sour grapes
- born with a silver spoon in your mouth
- eye up
- covetous glance
- longing look
- wishful thinking
- green with envy
- covetous eyes
- envious streak
- jealous bone
Conclusion
Learning idioms for jealous makes expressing envy and understanding emotions easier and more meaningful. These expressions help you describe feelings in a clear and colorful way. They can make stories and conversations about human emotions more interesting. Try using these phrases when discussing character feelings or everyday situations. With practice, these idioms can make your language more natural and expressive.
