resentful

adjective

re·​sent·​ful ri-ˈzent-fəl 

1

: full of resentment : inclined to resent

She felt resentful about being demoted.

2

: caused or marked by resentment

resentful anger

resentfully

ri-ˈzent-fə-lē 

adverb

resentfulness noun

Synonyms of resentful

• angry
• cynical
• embittered
• sore
• bitter
• rancorous

Examples of resentful in a Sentence

She is resentful about being demoted.

She gave me a resentful glare.

a resentful letter to the editor

Recent Examples on the Web

From coast to coast, the people of the United States are growing resentful of AI. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 25 June 2026

But there have been many groups in music history where the woman becomes the face of the group and the guys get resentful. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 23 June 2026

Meanwhile, Tom’s rebellious teenaged son, Evan (Kingston Rumi Southwick), has fallen in with a delinquent crowd out of sheer boredom, resentful that he’s never been allowed to leave the island. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 21 June 2026

That leaves the volatile Joanne feeling shut out and bitterly resentful. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for resentful

• eventful
• uneventful

Kids Definition

resentful

adjective

re·​sent·​ful ri-ˈzent-fəl 

1

: full of resentment

felt resentful of her success

2

: caused or marked by resentment

a resentful reply to a letter

resentfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

resentfulness noun