The AI-powered English dictionary
third-person singular simple present envies, present participle envying, simple past and past participle envied
(obsolete) To vie; to emulate; to strive. quotations
In which all pleasures plenteously abownd, And none does others happinesse envye
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie
plural envies
(US, chiefly Louisiana) A strong desire or craving, especially for (a particular kind of) food. quotations examples
"Oooo, yum." Linda licked her lips. "I had an envie for that." An envie is an urge. She walked to the oven, opened it, and looked in.
2009, Shane Hebert, The Ballad of Corey Robichaux, self-published, page 27
"I had an envie for something sweet so picked up King cakes for dessert. Bit of a lagniappe too, she gave us a dozen not ten."
2018, Mark Vaughan, The Beacon 2: Battle of Nuclear Creek, self-published, unnumbered page
"Sorry about that," he said to the man. "I'm by myself here these days. I had an envie for some Popeye's fried chicken, and dammit if you can't get that kinda thing off your mind until you just get up and go get it."
2020, Morris Ardoin, Stone Motel: Memoirs of a Cajun Boy, University Press of Mississippi, unnumbered page