jaundiced

American  

[jawn-dist, jahn-] / ˈdʒɔn dɪst, ˈdʒɑn- /

adjective

1. affected with or colored by or as if by jaundice.

   jaundiced skin.

2. affected with or exhibiting prejudice, as from envy or resentment.

   a jaundiced viewpoint.

   Synonyms:

   jealous, envious, resentful

---

Etymology

Origin of jaundiced

First recorded in 1630–40; jaundice + -ed ³

Explanation

So you wake up in the morning and look in the mirror. To your surprise, and horror, instead of your usual rosy complexion, your skin is yellow and the whites of your eyes are yellow, too! You, my friend, are jaundiced. Jaundice is from the Greek, ikteros, which referred to both the disease and a rare, yellow bird. It was thought that someone with jaundice could stare at this yellow bird, and the jaundice would be magically transferred to the bird. Jaundiced can also refer to ideas or feelings being distorted by negative views or qualities, since yellow has been associated with bitterness and envy. Too bad there is no bird to get rid of that!

Example Sentences

Though undeniably popular, social media is regarded now with an increasingly jaundiced eye, as the suits against Meta have proved.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

In summary, we are viewing the failure of SPX to be able to convincingly push through to new all-time highs with a jaundiced eye.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 8, 2026

Mr. Coen’s view of the contemporary dating scene seems both jaundiced and out of touch.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

The disorder makes patients jaundiced, feverish, and dangerously low on vitamins crucial for a healthy pregnancy.

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2024

In this way I learned why some Amazonians have a jaundiced view of biodiversity.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann