Well, that use of jealousy is only really common in certain romantic situations. Like if some super good looking dude hits on your girl and she responds in an ambiguously-flirty way, you might definitely be said to be jealous, even though she didn't run off with him.

In most other domains, though, like this one, jealousy and envy are synonyms. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jealousy#did-you-...

I read that link as supporting the distinction, not refuting it: "It is difficult to make the case, based on the evidence of usage that we have, [that they are] exact synonyms [or] totally different words."

An envious person would be happier having something that someone else also has. A jealous person feels threatened that someone else has or wants something. This distinction applies in romantic and non-romantic contexts. Both emotions can arise, for example, when someone observes someone else wanting something neither of them has, or when the thing wanted is inherently exclusive.

I don't lose a lot of sleep worrying about others' use or misuse of these words. But I do think it's essential for people to understand which of the two emotions they're having, because the solution really depends on that. Would I be happy if I destroyed that other kid's toy? (That's jealousy.) Would I be happy if my dad showed up and gave me a similar toy, so that the other kid and I could play together? (That's envy.)