ressentiment

[ French ruh-sahn-tee-mahn ]

noun

1. any cautious, defeatist, or cynical attitude based on the belief that the individual and human institutions exist in a hostile or indifferent universe or society.
2. an oppressive awareness of the futility of trying to improve one's status in life or in society.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ressentiment¹

From French, dating back to 1940–45; resentment

Example Sentences

Il voyait, sans le moindre ressentiment, la figure austère de son père, conservateur des hypothèques.

From Project Gutenberg