Invidiousness
/ˌɪnˈvɪd.i.əs.nəs/noun
The quality of being likely to arouse resentment, resentment itself, or being offensive due to unfair comparison or distinction.
Did you know?Its ancestor Latin *invidiosus* comes from *invidia*, “envy,” from *invidere*, literally “to look against” or “look at with hostility,” a reminder that in ancient thought a glance itself could be dangerous.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*weyd-
“to see, know”
Latin
Latin
invidēre
“to look at with hostility; to envy”
Latin
Latin
invidia
“envy; ill will; spite”
Late Latin
Latin
invidiōsus
“envious; hateful; likely to provoke envy or resentment”
Middle English
English
invidious
“causing envy or resentment; offensive”
Modern English
English
invidiousness
“the quality of being invidious; offensiveness due to unfair or unpleasant distinction”