Invidious
adj ·Uncommon ·College level
Definitions
- 1 Causing ill will, envy, or offense.
"To think highly of ourselves in comparison with others, to assume by our own authority that precedence which none is willing to grant, must be always invidious and offensive; […]"
- 2 Offensively or unfairly discriminating.
"But the rich man—not to make any invidious comparison—is always sold to the institution which makes him rich."
- 3 Envious, jealous. obsolete
- 4 Detestable, hateful, or odious. (Often used in cases of perceived unfairness, or when facing a difficult situation or choice — especially in the phrase invidious position.)
"The sales representative was in an invidious position: she could either get to the meeting on time but with nothing to show the client, or pick up the product samples while the client was kept waiting. Neither one would make a favourable impression!"
- 1 containing or implying a slight or showing prejudice wordnet
Example
More examples"She does have a favourite among her children, but she thinks it would be invidious to say which."
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin invidiōsus, from invidia (“envy, ill will”), from in- (“upon”) + videō (“I see”); the meaning developed from “look back at” to “look askance at” to “envy.” Doublet of envious, from Old French.
Related phrases
More for "invidious"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.