Envy refers to resentful desire of something possessed by another or others (but not limited to material possessions). It commonly describes an object of envious notice or feeling, hatred, enmity, ill-feeling, and emulation; rivalry, which gives the term a broader and more practical sense than a single short definition would suggest. Depending on context, it can also point to public odium; ill repute, to feel displeasure or hatred towards (someone) for their good fortune or possessions, and to have envious feelings (at), so the category can cover literal uses, related ideas, and more figurative extensions of the same core meaning. Taken together, these meanings present Envy as a flexible theme rather than a narrowly technical label, covering the central idea people usually mean when they use the word while still leaving room for closely related senses that appear in real language. Additional shades of meaning include to give (something) to (someone) grudgingly or reluctantly; to begrudge, to show malice or ill will; to rail, to do harm to; to injure; to disparage, to hate, and to emulate, which reinforce how the category can stretch across adjacent but still recognizable uses of the same term. Envy therefore works well as a quotation category because it can hold direct statements about the subject, figurative uses that borrow its meaning, and broader reflections that stay anchored to the same central idea.
