妒嫉 is a noun meaning 'envy' or 'jealousy', and it is a less common, reversed variant of the standard term 嫉妒 (jí dù). Both characters individually carry strong negative emotional connotations: 妒 (dù) emphasizes resentment toward others’ advantages, especially in love or status, while 嫉 (jí) stresses intolerance of others’ success or superiority. Together, 妒嫉 functions as a compound noun expressing intense, often irrational, resentment rooted in perceived unfairness or personal inadequacy.

This term appears more frequently in literary, classical, or emphatic contexts than in everyday speech — modern spoken Chinese strongly prefers 嫉妒. It may appear in formal writing, historical narratives, or psychological discussions to underscore the destructive or morally fraught nature of the emotion. Unlike neutral terms like 羡慕 (xiànmù, 'admiration'), 妒嫉 implies malice, ill will, or a desire to undermine the envied person.