Enviable-Envious | Commonly Confused Words
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Enviable vs. Envious

Enviable

/ˈenviəbəl/
Desirable and likely to be wanted by others due to its quality or condition

Examples:

Her vacation photos made her lifestyle seem enviable.An enviable collection of rare artifacts filled the room.The job offered an enviable salary and flexible hours.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Envious

/ˈenviəs/
Feeling or showing a desire to have what someone else has

Examples:

He gazed at her and felt an unexpected envious pang.The young artist was envious of her mentor's success.While others were envious of her talents, she remained humble.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Ways to tell them apart:

etymology
  • Enviable describes something that others desire to have, signifying positive traits or qualities.
  • Envious means you desire something that someone else has, indicating jealousy.
  • Enviable has a positive tone as it implies admiration, whereas envious carries a negative connotation.
  • Remember, if something is enviable, people want it; if someone is envious, they want what others have.
  • Think of enviable associating with admirable, whereas envious associates with jealous.
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