Jealousy is a strong emotion. It can feel sharp, heavy, burning, or even sneaky. But simply writing “She felt jealous” doesn’t always show how intense that feeling is.
That’s where similes help. A simile compares two things using “like” or “as.” Instead of saying “He was jealous,” you might say, “He was as green as a jealous vine.” Now the reader can picture and feel that emotion.
In this guide, you’ll discover 20+ creative similes for jealousy, complete with meanings and example sentences to improve your writing.
Let’s explore!
20 Similes for Jealousy
1. As green as envy
Meaning: Clearly jealous.
Explanation: Green is often linked to jealousy.
Examples:
- She turned as green as envy when she saw the award.
- He looked as green as envy at the news.
2. Like a thorn in the heart
Meaning: Jealousy that hurts deeply.
Examples:
- The thought felt like a thorn in the heart.
- His jealousy pricked like a thorn in the heart.
3. As bitter as dark chocolate
Meaning: Unpleasant and sharp jealousy.
Examples:
- Her voice sounded as bitter as dark chocolate.
- His smile was as bitter as dark chocolate.
4. Like a storm cloud hanging overhead
Meaning: Jealousy that feels heavy and constant.
Examples:
- His jealousy followed him like a storm cloud hanging overhead.
- The mood felt like a storm cloud hanging overhead.
5. As sharp as a needle
Meaning: Sudden and piercing jealousy.
Examples:
- The feeling struck as sharp as a needle.
- Her jealousy was as sharp as a needle.
6. Like fire under the skin
Meaning: Jealousy that burns inside.
Examples:
- His envy burned like fire under the skin.
- She felt anger rise like fire under the skin.
7. As restless as a buzzing fly
Meaning: Jealousy that won’t go away.
Examples:
- He felt as restless as a buzzing fly.
- Her thoughts were as restless as a buzzing fly.
8. Like a shadow that won’t leave
Meaning: Persistent jealousy.
Examples:
- His envy followed him like a shadow that won’t leave.
- The feeling stayed like a shadow that won’t leave.
9. As sour as spoiled milk
Meaning: Unpleasant jealousy.
Examples:
- His tone was as sour as spoiled milk.
- Her mood turned as sour as spoiled milk.
10. Like smoke in the air
Meaning: Jealousy that spreads quietly.
Examples:
- Tension grew like smoke in the air.
- His jealousy lingered like smoke in the air.
11. As tight as a knotted rope
Meaning: Tense and uncomfortable jealousy.
Examples:
- His chest felt as tight as a knotted rope.
- The room seemed as tight as a knotted rope.
12. Like a snake in the grass
Meaning: Hidden jealousy.
Examples:
- His envy slithered like a snake in the grass.
- The rivalry felt like a snake in the grass.
13. As heavy as a stone
Meaning: Deep, weighing jealousy.
Examples:
- The feeling sat as heavy as a stone.
- Her heart felt as heavy as a stone.
14. Like waves crashing inside
Meaning: Strong emotional jealousy.
Examples:
- His jealousy rose like waves crashing inside.
- The anger moved like waves crashing inside.
15. As dark as a moonless night
Meaning: Deep and overwhelming jealousy.
Examples:
- His thoughts were as dark as a moonless night.
- Her jealousy grew as dark as a moonless night.
16. Like poison in the blood
Meaning: Harmful and spreading jealousy.
Examples:
- His envy spread like poison in the blood.
- The rumor worked like poison in the blood.
17. As cold as ice
Meaning: Jealousy that feels distant and harsh.
Examples:
- Her stare was as cold as ice.
- His response sounded as cold as ice.
18. Like a crack in glass
Meaning: Jealousy that damages relationships.
Examples:
- The envy formed like a crack in glass.
- Their friendship split like a crack in glass.
19. As burning as chili pepper
Meaning: Intense and hot jealousy.
Examples:
- His jealousy was as burning as chili pepper.
- The feeling rose as burning as chili pepper.
20. Like a green flame
Meaning: Unique but intense jealousy.
Examples:
- Her envy flickered like a green flame.
- The rivalry glowed like a green flame.
🧠 Practice Exercise
Fill in the blanks:
- His envy burned like ________ under the skin.
- Her mood turned as sour as spoiled ________.
- The jealousy followed him like a ________ that won’t leave.
- The feeling struck as sharp as a ________.
- His thoughts grew as dark as a ________ night.
- The tension spread like ________ in the air.
- Her heart felt as heavy as a ________.
- The rivalry moved like a snake in the ________.
- His stare was as cold as ________.
- The envy flickered like a green ________.
✅ Answers
- fire
- milk
- shadow
- needle
- moonless
- smoke
- stone
- grass
- ice
- flame
Conclusion
Similes help you describe emotions like jealousy in a powerful and creative way. Instead of simply saying someone feels jealous, you can show it through vivid comparisons like “like fire under the skin” or “as green as envy.”
Practice using these similes in your writing, and you’ll create stronger, more emotional scenes that truly connect with readers.
Robert Parker is a U.S.-based author at Aslikee who is dedicated to producing accurate and trustworthy content for readers. He focuses on presenting information in a clear and organized way, making complex topics easier to understand.
He values thorough research and careful fact-checking to ensure every piece of content meets high quality standards. Robert believes that consistency and reliability are essential for building long-term reader trust.
At Aslikee, Robert plays an important role in supporting editorial quality and content improvement. His goal is to help users access useful, well-structured information that adds real value to their experience.
