Jealous means: Protective; zealously guarding; careful in the protection of something one has or appreciates, especially one's spouse or lover.. It has drug-related associations; worth a calm conversation about which side of the topic your teen is on. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
jealous
Protective; zealously guarding; careful in the protection of something (or someone) one has or appreciates, especially one's spouse or lover.
Seen in the wild
10 citations · last seen May 2026
Seen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
Good morning, Jason and Debbie😎☀️ Yard work on a Wednesday!? Tell me you’re retired without saying you’re retired🤣 yes, I’m jealous! Have a wonderful Wednesday.
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BlueskyMay 2026
Can’t believe Tom Scott got to drive the Peasholm Naval Battle boats, I’m mad jealous!
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BlueskyMay 2026
I’m a little jealous I haven’t received a text from him😜would love to tell them to fuck off.
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BlueskyMay 2026
Sometimes I am very jealous of the streamers/content creators that can afford houses from their income. It takes hard work of course, but still, success in a creative work is enviable. I value my privacy but damn do…
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BlueskyMay 2026
Lovely shots, Simon. And I'm so jealous that I've never seen, let alone been able to photograph, a puffin!
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Definitions
Australia
#1·Apr 27, 2026AUS
Protective; zealously guarding; careful in the protection of something (or someone) one has or appreciates, especially one's spouse or lover.
For parents
Jealous means: Protective; zealously guarding; careful in the protection of something one has or appreciates, especially one's spouse or lover.. It has drug-related associations; worth a calm conversation about which side of the topic your teen is on. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
jealous means: Protective; zealously guarding; careful in the protection of something one has or appreciates, especially one's spouse or lover.. Register: very informal, often derogatory or vulgar. Avoid in formal, business, academic, or polite writing. Even in casual speech the word can offend and is best left out of a learner's active vocabulary. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
Heard in the wild
“Good morning, Jason and Debbie😎☀️ Yard work on a Wednesday!? Tell me you’re retired without saying you’re retired🤣 yes, I’m jealous! Have a wonderful Wednesday.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Can’t believe Tom Scott got to drive the Peasholm Naval Battle boats, I’m mad jealous!”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I’m a little jealous I haven’t received a text from him😜would love to tell them to fuck off.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Sometimes I am very jealous of the streamers/content creators that can afford houses from their income. It takes hard work of course, but still, success in a creative work is enviable. I value my privacy but damn do I want to be able to afford a house.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Damn do kids actually have this relationship with their parents 🥲👀 Jealous I don’t really have that with any of my parents”
— r/teenagers· May 2026
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Australia
#2·Apr 27, 2026AUS
Envious; feeling resentful or angered toward someone for a perceived advantage or success, material or otherwise.
He was jealous of his friend’s success.
Heard in the wild
“Lovely shots, Simon. And I'm so jealous that I've never seen, let alone been able to photograph, a puffin!”
— Bluesky· May 2026“When Sam was made redundant, builder son and his tradie siblings built Sam a carving space. Today, builder son started carving with his dad. Sam is happy. I'm a little jealous. I thought this son was going to be my weaver. I'm happy for them though. Does my heart good”
— Bluesky· May 2026“your boyfriend’s an asshat you just gotta accept it. you can’t control your jealousy, yes, but i can’t imagine someone getting jealous over a lesbian trying to make friends with a guy.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I get so jealous looking at all the (insane) Ben & Jerry's flavours the US market has...and, yeah, my favourite was Baked Alaska...please bring at least that one back... :'>”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Lowkey jealous that Halmarut not only has adorably stylish glasses, but also her nosepiece is properly fitted to her face. I know different nose sizes are an option and all, but how are glasses OC's supposed to compete with that? 👓”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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Australia
#3·Apr 27, 2026AUS
Suspecting rivalry in love; troubled by worries that one might have been replaced in someone's affections; suspicious of a lover's or spouse's fidelity.
She gave him a jealous look.
Origin: . From , gelous, gelus, from , from , from .. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Cluster: approval
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Australia
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