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.
On Porchlight, he imagines the resentful reaction of a relative who thinks he's grown too big for his boots.
From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026
At the same time, the results of the study also suggest that coalition building is possible, even among the racially resentful.
From Salon • Jan. 19, 2026
Mr. Eyman draws a picture of “an increasingly resentful child . . . dragged through a succession of cow towns and surrogate fathers.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025
The abrupt shift left Harvey resentful and disenfranchised.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2025
Sometimes I try to help them with whatever they’re doing, but they turn away, or push me away, resentful that I’ve even offered.
From "Challenger Deep" 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.
