Envyings

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. The feeling of discontent and resentment aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck
2. A state of mind characterized by jealousy towards others for their advantages or successes
3. The emotion that arises when one covets what another has, leading to a sense of inadequacy or longing

Etymology: "Envyings" is the plural of "envying," the present participle and gerund of "envy," so it is the plural form of the noun "envying" and the verb-derived form of "envy." Its history traces back to Latin "invidia," meaning ill will or spite, a word built from "in-" plus "videre," to look at. The original sense was therefore a sidelong, malicious looking at another person's good fortune. "Envy" reached English through Old French "envie," which descended from the same Latin root. The core idea has stayed remarkably stable: a resentful gaze fixed on what someone else possesses. The plural "envyings" simply counts separate instances of that feeling, so the word describes several acts of resentment rather than a single abstract state.