resentment
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of resentment
First recorded in 1610–20; from French ressentiment, Middle French resentiment, equivalent to resenti(r) to resent + -ment -ment
Explanation
Resentment, or the strong and painful bitterness you feel when someone does something wrong to you, doesn’t have actual physical weight, but it feels very heavy and can last a long time. Forgiveness is one way to get rid of resentment. Sometimes resentment lasts for years. It can be strong and hard to pull out, like an old, gnarled tree root. While resentment over being wronged can come from just one act against you, it also can get stronger over time, as in "your growing resentment might just come from the fact that the team captain always picks you last." It also comes from misunderstandings, like feeling resentment over a dirty look you thought was directed at you but really wasn't. It's usually best to root out resentment early.
Vocabulary lists containing resentment
Touching Spirit Bear
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"The First Day of School," Vocabulary from the short story
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Carrie Fisher (1956-2016) Tribute 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.
The primary portrait of Adrian that emerges in “Remake” is that of a moody young man, his attitude toward his father flitting between mild tolerance and barely veiled resentment.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 9, 2026
If I leave unequal inheritances, do I risk creating resentment among my nieces and nephews — and, perhaps more importantly, among my siblings?
From MarketWatch • Jul. 2, 2026
I don't want to say anger... maybe resentment?
From BBC • Jun. 26, 2026
But he was able to eventually get to that acceptance to release some of the resentment, to release some of the anger.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026
And there was white resentment also over the fact that a significant number of African Americans had moved into previously segregated white neighborhoods.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
