羨望

• Reading: せんぼう
• Romaji: senbou
• Kanji breakdown: 羨 (sen) — envy, admire, covet; 望 (bō) — hope, desire, gaze
• Pronunciation: /seɴ.boː/

Meaning

Envy; longing admiration. A feeling of wanting what someone else has.

A noun and suru-verb (他動詞) describing the feeling of envying someone or something. More formal and literary than うらやましい, 羨望 is often used in written Japanese and carries a sense of admiring longing rather than bitter jealousy. 羨望の眼差し (a look of envy) is a very common expression.

Examples

1. 彼の成功は周囲の羨望の的だった。 His success was the object of envy among those around him.
2. 海外で自由に暮らす友人を羨望した。 I envied my friend who was living freely abroad.
3. 羨望の眼差しで新車を見つめていた。 They were gazing at the new car with envious eyes.

Usage Guide

Context: literature, formal writing, psychology

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 羨 (sen, envy/admire) + 望 (bō, desire/gaze). Literally 'envious gazing' — looking at something desirable with longing.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal