Word
嫉妬
Meaning in Englishjealousy
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Word context
What it means
嫉妬 means jealousy or envy. It denotes the emotional state of desiring what another person has and feeling insecurity, rivalry, or resentment as a result.
Main meanings
- Primary sense: jealousy toward another's success, possessions, or advantages.
- Relationship context: expresses possessiveness or suspicion in romantic or family dynamics.
- Literary nuance: used for intense or dramatic depictions of envy.
How to use it
Used as a noun or in expressions like 嫉妬する to form a verb phrase; appropriate in formal writing and everyday speech, though speakers may prefer ねたみ or 嫉妬深い in casual contexts.
Variants and close terms
- ねたみ — netami
- 嫉妬深い — shitto fukai
- 嫉妬心 — shitto shin
Composition
- 嫉: envy toward another's advantages
- 妬: resentment or jealousy
- combined meaning: a state of rivalrous desire and resentment toward someone else’s success or possessions
Etymology
etimologia: From Chinese 嫉 (envy) and 妬 (resentment), entered Japanese with on'yomi readings and coalesced into the single term shitto.
Origin
Borrowed from Classical Chinese; earliest attestations appear in Heian-period literature, with the sense and usage stabilizing in modern Japanese.
Word class
Noun (名詞)
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