resentful
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of resentful
Explanation
If you are resentful of someone, you feel ill will toward him, mixed with envy, like when a newer coworker gets the promotion you've been working toward for years. The verb resent comes from the word for "feeling," but we only use it to talk about bad, stinging feelings. You might resent having to work late, but if your boss pays you a higher wage for overtime, maybe you’ll be less resentful. When there are clear inequalities among people, it often makes them resentful. Someone who wears themselves out doing heavy labor might be resentful of their boss who never breaks a sweat but earns more money.
Vocabulary lists containing resentful
In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
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The Breadwinner
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ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 3
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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.
As long as that’s true, it’s inevitable that women will feel frustrated and resentful.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026
Lately, my spouse has mentioned feeling a little resentful and envious of my situation.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
The King is portrayed as resentful, with a "senior courtier" reporting an alleged comment by the late Queen: "He even resented it when I taught him the alphabet."
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Thus, our heroes must peel themselves off from the couch and go on the run with their resentful felines Dio and GG bouncing along in backpacks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
When he didn’t get 15C, he was cranky, and resentful of whoever did.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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.
