resentment

noun

re·​sent·​ment ri-ˈzent-mənt 

: a feeling of indignant displeasure or persistent ill will at something regarded as a wrong, insult, or injury

Synonyms of resentment

• grudge
• grievance

Choose the Right Synonym for resentment

offense, resentment, umbrage, pique, dudgeon, huff mean an emotional response to or an emotional state resulting from a slight or indignity.

offense implies hurt displeasure.

takes deep offense at racial slurs

resentment suggests lasting indignation or ill will.

harbored a lifelong resentment of his brother

umbrage may suggest hurt pride, resentment, or suspicion of another's motives.

took umbrage at the offer of advice

pique applies to a transient feeling of wounded vanity.

in a pique I foolishly declined the invitation

dudgeon suggests an angry fit of indignation.

stormed out of the meeting in high dudgeon

huff implies a peevish short-lived spell of anger usually at a petty cause.

in a huff he slammed the door

Examples of resentment in a Sentence

She bore bitter feelings of resentment toward her ex-husband.

He's filled with resentment at his boss.

He expressed his resentment of the new policies.

Recent Examples on the Web

Unlike the 13 colonies, East and West Florida were largely unaffected by the British Stamp Act and other taxes that fueled resentment elsewhere because the colonies produced relatively little for the British colonial economy. — Hank Tester, CBS News, 1 July 2026

When a leader isn't accountable to the process, the word becomes a do-as-I-say cliché that breeds resentment instead of results. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Anti-immigrant resentment has long focused on migrants from Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi, with similar hostility directed at Ghanaians and Nigerians. — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 29 June 2026

Critics, however, argue those controls fueled public resentment precisely when speed mattered most. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 29 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for resentment

• contentment
• presentment

Kids Definition

resentment

noun

re·​sent·​ment ri-ˈzent-mənt 

: a feeling of angry displeasure at something regarded as a wrong, insult, or injury