The word "艳羡" is formed by combining the character "艳", meaning gorgeous or resplendent, which itself is composed of "丰" (abundant) and "色" (color), with the character "羡", meaning to admire or envy, composed of "羊" (sheep) and "㳄" (a variant representing saliva, implying desire). The compound directly links the concept of something being visually striking ("艳") with the feeling of covetous admiration ("羡"), resulting in a term that denotes envious longing for something attractive.