resentment
rih-ZENT-muhnt
/rɪˈzent.mənt/
Bitter indignation or ill feeling resulting from having been treated unfairly.
Focuses on the lingering pain and indignation caused by a perceived injustice or insult.
The story behind the word. From French 'ressentiment', from 're-' (again) and 'sentir' (to feel, from Latin 'sentire'). Literally, to hold resentment is to 're-feel' an old wound over and over again in your mind.
Word relationships
- indignation: Indignation is righteous anger at unfairness, while resentment is the lingering, sour feeling that remains afterward.
- grievance: A grievance is the specific complaint or cause, whereas resentment is the emotional state caused by it.
- gratitude: Gratitude involves feeling thankful and appreciative toward others.
- contentment: Contentment is a state of peaceful happiness and satisfaction.
Commonly confused with
- re-sentment: Resentment is bitter feeling; 'resenting' a message means sending it again.
Word family
- resent (verb): To feel bitterness or indignation at.
- resentful (adjective): Feeling or expressing resentment.
- resentfully (adverb): In a resentful manner.
Collocations
- harbor resentment
- simmering resentment
- deep resentment
Example sentences
- "My resentment was created on the firm foundation of goodwill, which you destroyed." Classic romance literature
- "Passing over junior staff for promotions created widespread resentment across the department." Workplace dynamic
Memory hook
RE-SENTMENT is when you RE-SENT the pain of an insult back to your own brain. Re-feeling an old injustice.
When not to use
Do not use when someone is merely sad or disappointed without feeling mistreated.
Fun facts
- The root 'sentire' (to feel) also gives us 'sentiment', 'sensation', 'sense', and 'sensitive'.
Also appears in
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.