enviable

[en-vee-uh-buhl]

adjective

1. worthy of envy; very desirable.

   an enviable position.

   Synonyms: lucky, fortunate, advantageous

enviable

/ ˈɛnvɪəbəl /

adjective

1. exciting envy; fortunate or privileged

Other Word Forms

• enviableness noun
• enviably adverb
• nonenviable adjective
• nonenviableness noun
• nonenviably adverb
• unenviable adjective
• unenviably adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of enviable¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; envy + -able

Example Sentences

The two share a natural, enviable rapport, and when Agnes submits her thesis, Decker is all too happy to sing her praises, offering to give her notes firsthand.

From Salon

They have built an enviable enterprise with 200 permanent workers, and have expanded into dairy and livestock farming.

From BBC

Since then, she has stockpiled an enviable selection of armour-plated hits, most of which got an airing on Friday night.

From BBC

Add in being an unbeaten rookie in Luke Donald's European Ryder Cup team in Rome two years ago, and his CV is enviable.

From BBC

Her performance, featuring a giant disco ball pursed between two red lips, is gloriously OTT, and she has an enviable set of pipes.

From BBC

Related Words

• advantageous 
• desirable 
• excellent 
• privileged 

When To Use

What does enviable mean?

Enviable means very desirable. It’s especially used to describe things that a person has and that other people want—or a person that other people want to be like.In other words, enviable means worthy of or likely to cause envy—a feeling of desire for something that someone else has and you do not. Envy is also a verb meaning to have feelings of envy toward someone, and enviable is formed from this verb.Envy is not a good feeling—it can be described as a mix of admiration and discontent. Enviable is often used to describe things that are so good that other people will naturally want them (and might even get a little envious or jealous).The opposite of enviable is unenviable, which is typically used to describe tasks or positions that no one wants, as in He was given the unenviable task of making sure everyone paid on time. Example: It’s an enviable position, with a lot of perks, so naturally we have many applicants.