‘嫉贤妒能’ is a classical four-character idiom (chengyu) describing a deeply negative personality trait: harboring envy toward morally upright, talented, or accomplished people—and actively obstructing or undermining them out of resentment. Literally, 嫉 (jí) and 妒 (dù) both mean ‘to envy’ or ‘to be jealous’, while 贤 (xián) means ‘virtuous or worthy person’ and 能 (néng) means ‘capable or competent person’. Together, the phrase emphasizes not just passive jealousy but active hostility toward excellence in others.

This idiom is commonly used in formal writing, historical narratives, political commentary, or moral criticism—often to condemn leaders, colleagues, or institutions that suppress talent due to insecurity or self-interest. It carries strong disapproval and implies moral failure, not mere personal insecurity. Though grammatically flexible (used as noun or verb), it typically functions predicatively or as a subject/object in judgments about character or behavior.