Envy vs. Malice — What's the Difference?

Discontent over others' success or advantages.

Derives pleasure from others' misfortune.

Can lead to grudging admiration or jealousy.

Motivated by revenge or ill will.

Resentment arising from self-comparison.

Deliberate actions aimed at causing pain.

A feeling of wanting what others have.

Rooted in anger, hatred, or resentment.

Often accompanied by feelings of inferiority.

Intent to inflict harm or suffering.

Envy (from Latin invidia) is an emotion which occurs when a person lacks another's superior quality, achievement, or possession and either desires it or wishes that the other lacked it.Aristotle defined envy as pain at the sight of another's good fortune, stirred by "those who have what we ought to have". Bertrand Russell said that envy was one of the most potent causes of unhappiness.

A desire to harm others or to see others suffer; extreme ill will or spite.

A feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck

The intent to commit an unlawful act without justification or excuse.

Desire to have a quality, possession, or other desirable thing belonging to (someone else)

An improper motive for an action, such as desire to cause injury to another.

A feeling of discontent and resentment aroused by and in conjunction with desire for the possessions or qualities of another. See Usage Note at jealous.

Intention to harm or deprive in an illegal or immoral way. Desire to take pleasure in another's misfortune.

The object of such feeling

An intention to do injury to another party, which in many jurisdictions is a distinguishing factor between the crimes of murder and manslaughter.

(Obsolete) Malevolence.

To intend to cause harm; to bear malice.

To feel envy toward (another person).

Enmity of heart; malevolence; ill will; a spirit delighting in harm or misfortune to another; a disposition to injure another; a malignant design of evil.

To regard (something) with envy.

Any wicked or mischievous intention of the mind; a depraved inclination to mischief; an intention to vex, annoy, or injure another person, or to do a wrongful act without just cause or cause or excuse; a wanton disregard of the rights or safety of others; willfulness.

Resentful desire of something possessed by another or others (but not limited to material possessions).

To regard with extreme ill will.

An object of envious notice or feeling.

Feeling a need to see others suffer

(obsolete) Hatred, enmity, ill-feeling.

The quality of threatening evil

(obsolete) Emulation; rivalry.

(obsolete) Public odium; ill repute.

A red-skinned variety of eating apple.

(transitive) To feel displeasure or hatred towards (someone) for their good fortune or possessions.

(transitive) To resentfully or discontentedly desire (something someone else has that one lacks).

To have envious feelings (at).

To give (something) to (someone) grudgingly or reluctantly; to begrudge.

(obsolete) To show malice or ill will; to rail.

(obsolete) To do harm to; to injure; to disparage.

(obsolete) To hate.

(obsolete) To emulate.

Malice; ill will; spite.

Chagrin, mortification, discontent, or uneasiness at the sight of another's excellence or good fortune, accompanied with some degree of hatred and a desire to possess equal advantages; malicious grudging; - usually followed by of; as, they did this in envy of Cæsar.

Emulation; rivalry.

Public odium; ill repute.

An object of envious notice or feeling.

To feel envy at or towards; to be envious of; to have a feeling of uneasiness or mortification in regard to (any one), arising from the sight of another's excellence or good fortune and a longing to possess it.

To feel envy on account of; to have a feeling of grief or repining, with a longing to possess (some excellence or good fortune of another, or an equal good fortune, etc.); to look with grudging upon; to begrudge.

To long after; to desire strongly; to covet.

To do harm to; to injure; to disparage.

To hate.

To emulate.

To be filled with envious feelings; to regard anything with grudging and longing eyes; - used especially with at.

To show malice or ill will; to rail.

A feeling of grudging admiration and desire to have something possessed by another

Spite and resentment at seeing the success of another (personified as one of the deadly sins)

Feel envious towards; admire enviously

Be envious of; set one's heart on

Malice implies the intention to harm, which often results in words or actions against others.

Not always, as people can feel envious without directly expressing it outwardly.

Envy is a feeling of wanting what others have, while malice is the intent to cause harm or suffering.

Yes, slander is a common expression of malice through the spread of damaging false information.

Not necessarily; envy can remain internal, though it may lead to bitterness or jealousy.

In extreme cases, envy can escalate to malice if resentment and jealousy are left unchecked.

Certain malicious actions, like defamation or physical harm, can have legal consequences.

Malice is often driven by anger, hatred, or the desire for revenge.

Envy and jealousy are closely related, with envy often stemming from comparisons and perceived inferiority.

Yes, admiration is the positive counterpart of envy, while benevolence opposes malice.

Not necessarily; malice can be directed at strangers or public figures based on preconceived notions.

Yes, recognizing envy and focusing on personal growth can reduce its negative impact.

Yes, both can lead to tension or conflict, damaging relationships over time.

Generally, malice involves deliberate intent, though spontaneous reactions can also occur.

In moderation, envy can inspire self-improvement by highlighting areas of personal growth.