adj.
- Fearful or wary of being supplanted; apprehensive of losing affection or position.
- Resentful or bitter in rivalry; envious: jealous of the success of others.
- Inclined to suspect rivalry.
- Having to do with or arising from feelings of envy, apprehension, or bitterness: jealous thoughts.
- Vigilant in guarding something: We are jealous of our good name.
- Intolerant of disloyalty or infidelity; autocratic: a jealous God.
[Middle English jelous, from Old French gelos, jealous, zealous, from Vulgar Latin *zēlōsus, from Late Latin zēlus, zeal. See zeal.]
jealously jeal'ous·ly adv.jealousness jeal'ous·ness n.
SYNONYMS jealous, covetous, envious. These adjectives mean resentfully or painfully desirous of another's advantages: jealous of a friend's success; covetous of my neighbor's possessions; envious of their art collection.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
