resent
Americanverb (used with object)
-
resents,
present (3rd person singular)
-
resented,
past participle, past
-
resenting
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
resentsimple
-
resentssimple
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have resentedperfect
-
has resentedperfect
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am resentingprogressive
-
are resentingprogressive
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is resentingprogressive
-
have been resentingperfect progressive
-
has been resentingperfect progressive
Past
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resentedsimple
-
had resentedperfect
-
was resentingprogressive
-
were resentingprogressive
-
had been resentingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of resent
First recorded in 1595–1605; from French ressentir “to feel (an emotion),” from Old French res(s)entir, equivalent to re- re- + sentir “to feel,” from Latin sentīre; see sense
Explanation
To resent something is to feel anger or bitterness toward it. You might resent someone who has treated you poorly. To resent is a strong, negative feeling. You may resent the accusation that you were stealing cookies, or when a teacher yelled at you for whispering, even though everyone else was too. You might resent a friend who has more money or friends than you. Lots of people resent celebrities because they're famous and wealthy. If your friend borrowed a sweater and didn’t return it, you would probably resent it. Resenting is the opposite of being grateful.
Vocabulary lists containing resent
The Diary of Anne Frank
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List 3
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ACT Vocabulary List
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“But I think most people, in the long run, resent hegemony.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Second, if she outlives him, I assume his children might resent her, since that could tie up a sizable portion of their inheritance.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 3, 2026
These aren’t the old voice assistants we’ve come to resent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 24, 2026
Or maybe you love what a little ginger does to soups or oatmeal but resent the peeling and grating it demands.
From Salon ● Jan. 5, 2026
The rotten thing is that all of the pleasure is gone because the others resent me.
From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes
In Mr. Harris’s sensitive portrayal, Caesar resents his dependence on the martial acumen of Agrippa, who soon chafes at his subordinate role.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Spending her Saturday not in uniform but in a T-shirt and jeans, she would like to enjoy a coffee outside -- and resents that her more religious compatriots think otherwise.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
"As she said in her own memoir, she resents that others defined her the first time around," Jellison told the BBC.
From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2026
Because there’s one thing worse than hunkering down during a snowstorm — and that’s doing so with someone who resents your spending.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 25, 2026
Though in Werner’s weaker moments, he resents those same qualities in his sister.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
Many community members also resented attempts by these organizations to work with local politicians who were criticized for their handling of the disaster.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026
He’s long resented her inability to contain the frenzy surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein files.
From Slate ● Apr. 4, 2026
He believes the UK suffers from "tall poppy syndrome" – where successful people are resented – and a negative culture.
From BBC ● Dec. 28, 2025
Initially, I felt rejected by my parents and resented their decision to send me away.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 23, 2025
You resented him even when you were at your most grateful, and you were grateful to him even when you hated him the most.
From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman
“When loneliness hits them and the lack of a social support system, they start resenting the locals and perhaps even avoid meeting them and isolate themselves.”
From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026
“When you don’t plan for joy, you end up either overspending impulsively or depriving yourself and resenting your money plan.”
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 27, 2026
Without discounting the harshness of that imposed acculturation, he thanked what it gained him rather than resenting the means.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 18, 2025
He said he fell into a deep depression and began resenting his first-generation status, blaming his Mexican immigrant parents for not better educating him on how to be a competitive college applicant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 27, 2024
Knot had taken on the project of teaching Nailer to read, and it hadn’t taken long for Nailer to begin resenting the tedium of book learning.
From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
