ressentiment

noun

res·​sen·​ti·​ment rə-ˌsäⁿ-tē-ˈmäⁿ How to pronounce ressentiment (audio)
: deep-seated resentment, frustration, and hostility accompanied by a sense of being powerless to express these feelings directly

Examples of ressentiment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The smaller art world resents the larger, commercial art world, but in a particular way, without what is sometimes called ressentiment, based on envy and faltering self-esteem. Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 6 June 2023 Television and music, monuments and memorials have all been prime levers of a political project, a campaign of cultural ressentiment and national rebirth, that culminated this May on the blue-green carpets beneath Hagia Sophia’s dome. Jason Farago, New York Times, 25 May 2023 But in between justice and ressentiment is a rich, gray area where schadenfreude can serve a valuable political purpose. Lee M. Pierce, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2020 This weaponizing of ressentiment — a term borrowed from German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, capturing the deep grievance produced by feelings of both envy and humiliation — is possibly the defining theme in global politics right now. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 26 June 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ressentiment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, resentment, from ressentir to resent, from Middle French resentir — more at resent

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ressentiment was in 1896

Dictionary Entries Near ressentiment

Cite this Entry

“Ressentiment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ressentiment. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

ressentiment

noun
res·​sen·​ti·​ment rə-säⁿ-tē-ˈmäⁿ How to pronounce ressentiment (audio)
: deep-seated resentment, frustration, and hostility accompanied by a sense of being powerless to express these feelings directly
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