50 Idioms for Jealousy (Meanings & Examples)

Idioms are fun phrases where the words together mean something entirely different from what the words say by themselves. People use them in daily chats and stories to make conversations much more colorful and exciting. In this lesson, you will learn fifty handy idioms that relate to jealousy and wanting what others have.

In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms that mean feeling envious and coveting someone else’s success. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.

Idioms for Jealousy

1. Green-eyed monster

Definition: A descriptive term used to represent the feeling of intense jealousy.

Used in a Sentence: When Leo saw his friend get a new bicycle, the green-eyed monster started to bother him. / She tried to ignore the green-eyed monster when her classmate won the art prize.

Similar Expressions: Envious feeling / Jealous urge

2. Bitter pill to swallow

Definition: A harsh truth or disappointing reality that is hard to accept.

Used in a Sentence: Losing the game after playing so hard was a bitter pill to swallow. / Realizing someone else won the award was a bitter pill to swallow.

Similar Expressions: Hard truth / Difficult acceptance

3. Chip on your shoulder

Definition: Being angry or resentful because you feel treated unfairly compared to others.

Used in a Sentence: He walked around with a chip on his shoulder after not being chosen for the team captain role. / Try not to keep a chip on your shoulder when things do not go your way.

Similar Expressions: Resentful attitude / Grudge holding

4. Covet your neighbor’s ox

Definition: Wanting to possess something that belongs to someone else.

Used in a Sentence: It is wrong to covet your neighbor’s ox just because their video game is newer. / She learned not to covet your neighbor’s ox and be happy with her own toys.

Similar Expressions: Wanting others belongings / Envious desire

5. Eat your heart out

Definition: To feel consumed by jealousy or longing for something you do not have.

Used in a Sentence: When he saw my new skateboard, he could just eat his heart out. / Do not sit there and eat your heart out over someone else’s success.

Similar Expressions: Be deeply envious / Pine away with jealousy

6. Keep up with the Joneses

Definition: Trying to buy or achieve the same possessions as your neighbors out of envy.

Used in a Sentence: My parents refuse to buy fancy cars just to keep up with the Joneses. / Buying a new television simply to keep up with the Joneses is a waste of money.

Similar Expressions: Compete with neighbors / Match possessions

7. Envious eyes

Definition: Looking at someone else’s belongings with covetous longing.

Used in a Sentence: He cast envious eyes toward my shiny new comic book collection. / She looked with envious eyes at her friend’s delicious dessert.

Similar Expressions: Covetous gaze / Jealous stare

8. Dog in the manger

Definition: Someone who prevents others from enjoying something they cannot use themselves.

Used in a Sentence: He would not let anyone else play with the toy, acting like a true dog in the manger. / Do not be a dog in the manger when your friends want a turn on the swing.

Similar Expressions: Selfish spoiler / Spoilsport

9. Barking up the wrong tree of envy

Definition: Directing your jealousy toward the wrong person or reason.

Used in a Sentence: If you are mad at me for winning, you are barking up the wrong tree of envy. / He realized his jealous anger was barking up the wrong tree.

Similar Expressions: Misdirected jealousy / Wrong assumption

10. Sour grapes

Definition: Pretending you do not want something just because you cannot have it.

Used in a Sentence: Saying the art prize is boring because you lost is just sour grapes. / He called the new bicycle ugly out of pure sour grapes.

Similar Expressions: Fake disdain / Bitter jealousy

11. Red with envy

Definition: Showing extreme jealousy through facial expression or anger.

Used in a Sentence: When she saw her rival win the trophy, she turned red with envy. / He was red with envy watching his brother open the biggest present.

Similar Expressions: Deeply jealous / Enraged with envy

12. Born under an unlucky star

Definition: Feeling resentful and unlucky while watching others succeed easily.

Used in a Sentence: He felt like he was born under an unlucky star when everyone else won prizes. / Stop thinking you were born under an unlucky star and keep trying.

Similar Expressions: Unfortunate soul / Feeling unlucky

13. Yearning from afar

Definition: Desperately wanting something that someone else possesses.

Used in a Sentence: She stood by the window, yearning from afar for the puppy her friend held. / He spent the afternoon yearning from afar for the new video game.

Similar Expressions: Coveting silently / Longing jealously

14. Poisoned by envy

Definition: Letting feelings of jealousy ruin your happiness and relationships.

Used in a Sentence: His friendship was poisoned by envy when he could not share success. / Do not let your heart get poisoned by envy over a game.

Similar Expressions: Corrupted by jealousy / Bitterly envious

15. Stab in the back

Definition: Betraying a friend out of jealousy or competitive anger.

Used in a Sentence: Taking credit for my drawing felt like a real stab in the back. / True friends never stab you in the back over a contest.

Similar Expressions: Betrayal / Treacherous act

16. Out of spite

Definition: Doing something harmful or unkind purely out of jealousy.

Used in a Sentence: He hid my colored pencils out of spite because I won the drawing contest. / She refused to clap for the winner out of spite.

Similar Expressions: From malice / Out of jealousy

17. Burning with jealousy

Definition: Experiencing an intense, painful feeling of envy inside.

Used in a Sentence: He was burning with jealousy when his friend got the lead role in the play. / She felt like she was burning with jealousy during the award ceremony.

Similar Expressions: Fuming with envy / Seething inside

18. Jealous streak

Definition: A temporary or personality trait of feeling envious easily.

Used in a Sentence: Every time someone else got a compliment, his jealous streak showed. / Working on your attitude helps control a jealous streak.

Similar Expressions: Envious tendency / Jealous habit

19. Covet what is not yours

Definition: Desiring items or achievements belonging to another person.

Used in a Sentence: Learning to be content means you do not covet what is not yours. / He learned a hard lesson about why you should not covet what is not yours.

Similar Expressions: Desiring others property / Envious longing

20. Wish you were in their shoes

Definition: Deeply desiring to trade places with someone more successful.

Used in a Sentence: Seeing the champion hold the trophy made me wish I was in their shoes. / Do not waste time wishing you were in their shoes; work hard yourself.

Similar Expressions: Wanting their life / Envious desire to swap

21. Turn green with envy

Definition: Exhibiting a visible physical reaction of intense jealousy.

Used in a Sentence: He turned green with envy when he saw my brand new skateboard. / The kids turned green with envy seeing the huge box of chocolates.

Similar Expressions: Extremely envious / Showing jealousy

22. Envy eats the soul

Definition: A saying meaning jealousy destroys a person’s inner happiness.

Used in a Sentence: My grandmother always said that envy eats the soul if you let it grow. / Letting anger over a game take over means envy eats the soul.

Similar Expressions: Jealousy destroys / Bitter thoughts ruin

23. Petty jealousy

Definition: Small, unimportant feelings of envy over minor things.

Used in a Sentence: Getting upset over who got the red marker is just petty jealousy. / Try to ignore petty jealousy among classmates.

Similar Expressions: Minor envy / Silly spite

24. Smoldering resentment

Definition: Hidden and unexpressed anger caused by jealousy.

Used in a Sentence: He held a smoldering resentment toward the team captain all season. / Letting go of smoldering resentment brings peace of mind.

Similar Expressions: Secret anger / Hidden grudge

25. Covetous eye

Definition: Looking at someone else’s belongings with greedy envy.

Used in a Sentence: He cast a covetous eye on my new notebook. / She looked with a covetous eye at the delicious dessert tray.

Similar Expressions: Envious glance / Greedy stare

26. Grudge match

Definition: A competitive game driven by personal jealousy and past rivalry.

Used in a Sentence: Saturday’s soccer game turned into a fierce grudge match. / They played the rematch like a personal grudge match.

Similar Expressions: Rivalry game / Competitive feud

27. Dog in the manger attitude

Definition: Refusing to let anyone else use something you cannot have.

Used in a Sentence: His dog in the manger attitude ruined the game for everyone. / Sharing toys is better than having a dog in the manger attitude.

Similar Expressions: Selfish behavior / Spoilsport mindset

28. Eat your heart out with envy

Definition: Suffering from intense jealousy over someone else’s good fortune.

Used in a Sentence: When I won the raffle, I told my brother to eat his heart out with envy. / He watched the winners eat their hearts out with envy.

Similar Expressions: Pine with jealousy / Suffer envy

29. Green with envy

Definition: Being completely overtaken by feelings of jealousy.

Used in a Sentence: She was green with envy when her friend got a puppy. / The spectators were green with envy seeing the grand prizes.

Similar Expressions: Extremely jealous / Envious

30. Envious glance

Definition: A quick, jealous look at someone else’s possessions or success.

Used in a Sentence: He threw an envious glance at my new sneakers. / She stole an envious glance at her partner’s artwork.

Similar Expressions: Jealous look / Covetous stare

31. Chip on your shoulder of envy

Definition: Carrying resentment because someone else has better things.

Used in a Sentence: Carrying a chip on your shoulder of envy makes it hard to be happy. / He walked away with a heavy chip on his shoulder.

Similar Expressions: Resentful burden / Jealous grievance

32. Harbor secret envy

Definition: Keeping hidden feelings of jealousy inside without telling anyone.

Used in a Sentence: It is unhealthy to harbor secret envy toward your friends. / He chose to let go of his harbor secret envy.

Similar Expressions: Hide jealousy / Conceal spite

33. Eye the prize with envy

Definition: Looking at a reward someone else won with jealous thoughts.

Used in a Sentence: He sat in the corner, eyeing the prize with envy. / Do not eye the prize with envy when others win fairly.

Similar Expressions: Covet the reward / Look jealously

34. Stolen glory

Definition: Jealousy arising when someone else takes credit for your work.

Used in a Sentence: Watching him take credit for my science project felt like stolen glory. / She hated the feeling of stolen glory after the group presentation.

Similar Expressions: Unfair credit / Copied success

35. Green monster

Definition: A short phrase representing sudden jealous feelings.

Used in a Sentence: The green monster popped up when his friend got a better grade. / Fight off the green monster by practicing kindness.

Similar Expressions: Jealousy bug / Envy urge

36. Bitter rivalry

Definition: A competition fueled by mutual jealousy and anger.

Used in a Sentence: The two spelling bee finalists maintained a bitter rivalry all year. / Their contest turned into a bitter rivalry.

Similar Expressions: Fierce competition / Envious feud

37. Covetous heart

Definition: An inner feeling of wanting everything that belongs to others.

Used in a Sentence: A covetous heart never finds true peace or satisfaction. / He tried to clean his covetous heart and practice gratitude.

Similar Expressions: Envious spirit / Greedy soul

38. Poisonous spite

Definition: Hateful behavior born out of deep jealousy.

Used in a Sentence: Her mean comments came from a place of poisonous spite. / Do not let poisonous spite ruin your friendships.

Similar Expressions: Malicious envy / Hateful jealousy

39. Envious whisper

Definition: Speaking quietly about someone out of jealousy.

Used in a Sentence: We heard an envious whisper from the back row about the trophy. / Ignore any envious whisper and focus on your work.

Similar Expressions: Jealous murmur / Spiteful talk

40. Jealous glare

Definition: An angry, envious look directed at someone successful.

Used in a Sentence: He shot a jealous glare across the room during the award presentation. / She tried to hide her jealous glare behind a smile.

Similar Expressions: Envious look / Spiteful stare

41. Covet the crown

Definition: Wanting the top position or prize out of pure envy.

Used in a Sentence: He started to covet the crown instead of enjoying the game. / Trying to covet the crown dishonestly brings no joy.

Similar Expressions: Want the top spot / Envy the winner

42. Green-eyed feeling

Definition: A mild sensation of envy or jealousy.

Used in a Sentence: I got a quick green-eyed feeling when she bought the new game. / Push away that green-eyed feeling and be glad for others.

Similar Expressions: Envious twinge / Jealous moment

43. Bitter pill

Definition: A painful truth or loss that causes feelings of envy and anger.

Used in a Sentence: Accepting defeat in the spelling bee was a bitter pill. / Watching others succeed while you struggle is a bitter pill.

Similar Expressions: Hard reality / Painful truth

44. Resentful glare

Definition: An angry look caused by feeling treated unfairly or jealously.

Used in a Sentence: He cast a resentful glare at the scoreboard. / She gave a resentful glare when her turn was skipped.

Similar Expressions: Angry look / Spiteful glance

45. Envious mind

Definition: A mental state focused on what other people have.

Used in a Sentence: An envious mind misses out on enjoying present blessings. / He worked hard to change his envious mind into a thankful one.

Similar Expressions: Jealous thoughts / Covetous thinking

46. Spiteful action

Definition: Doing something mean because of jealousy or anger.

Used in a Sentence: Hiding the markers was a spiteful action born of envy. / Avoid spiteful action when things do not go your way.

Similar Expressions: Malicious deed / Mean trick

47. Grudge holding

Definition: Refusing to forgive someone because of past jealousy or competition.

Used in a Sentence: Grudge holding prevents you from making new friends. / He stopped his grudge holding after talking things out.

Similar Expressions: Bearing malice / Maintaining resentment

48. Envious longing

Definition: A strong, sad desire for something someone else owns.

Used in a Sentence: She looked at the new bicycle with envious longing. / He sighed with envious longing as the toy car drove past.

Similar Expressions: Jealous yearning / Covetous desire

49. Spiteful remark

Definition: A mean thing said out of jealousy or anger.

Used in a Sentence: Making a spiteful remark about the winner is never nice. / She regretted her spiteful remark instantly.

Similar Expressions: Mean comment / Jealous insult

50. Green-eyed monster strikes

Definition: When sudden intense jealousy takes over your thoughts.

Used in a Sentence: When his teammate scored the winning goal, the green-eyed monster strikes. / He felt bad when the green-eyed monster strikes his heart.

Similar Expressions: Jealousy takes over / Envy appears

Exercise to Practice

1. When Leo saw his friend get a new bicycle, the green-eyed monster started to bother him.
2. Losing the game after playing so hard was a bitter pill to swallow while eating ice cream.
3. My parents refuse to buy fancy cars just to keep up with the Joneses.
4. He hid my colored pencils out of spite because I won the drawing contest.
5. She refused to clap for the winner out of spite by cheering loudly.
6. He cast an envious glance at my new sneakers.
7. She turned red with envy when she saw her rival win the trophy.
8. Every time someone else got a compliment, his jealous streak showed.
9. He shot a jealous glare across the room during the award presentation.
10. Spilling milk twice at dinner was the last straw for my patience.
11. An envious mind misses out on enjoying present blessings.
12. Hiding the markers was a spiteful action born of envy.
13. Grudge holding prevents you from making new friends.
14. He sighed with envious longing as the toy car drove past.
15. The teacher asked us to put our books away pronto by sleeping on the rug.

Answer Key

1. True
2. False
3. True
4. True
5. False
6. True
7. True
8. True
9. True
10. False
11. True
12. True
13. True
14. True
15. False

Conclusion

Learning these idioms helps students make their speaking and writing much more colorful and descriptive. When you know what these phrases mean, you can understand stories and character emotions much better.

Try using one or two of these new expressions when you write a story about feelings or talk with your friends. You will see how fun it is to bring your everyday English to life!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some common idioms for jealousy?

Some popular idioms for jealousy include the green-eyed monster for envious feelings, bitter pill to swallow for hard truths, and keeping up with the Joneses for material competition. These expressions make character descriptions in stories much more engaging.

Why do we use idioms in English?

Idioms add personality, humor, and color to our speech and writing. Instead of using plain words, people use idioms to paint a fun mental picture for the listener or reader.

How can kids learn idioms easily?

Kids can learn idioms best by reading fun stories, connecting the phrases to everyday situations, and practicing them in sentences. Using them during games and writing exercises helps them stick in your memory.

Can an idiom mean what the words literally say?

No, idioms have a special figurative meaning that is different from the literal definition of the individual words. For example, the green-eyed monster does not mean an actual creature with green eyes exists; it represents feelings of envy.

Are idioms difficult for beginners to learn?

Idioms can seem tricky at first because their meanings are hidden, but they become easy and fun once you practice them in sentences. Learning them in small groups helps children build confidence quickly.