So there's this scene in 'Gossip Girl' where Blair totally loses it when Serena gets the lead role in their school play. She mutters under her breath, 'I can't believe they chose her over me' while gripping her desk so hard her knuckles turn white. That visceral reaction—clenched jaw, narrowed eyes, barely concealed irritation—that's jealousy in its rawest form.
Native speakers often use 'jealous' when someone possesses something they desperately want, whether tangible or intangible. Like when my cousin got a Nintendo Switch before me, I whined to my mom, 'It's not fair! Why does he always get everything first?' The word carries that mix of envy and resentment, sometimes even when we know we shouldn't feel that way.