RESENTFUL Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

resentful

adjective

ri-ˈzent-fəl

Definition of resentful

as in angry

having or showing deep-seated resentment he is still resentful about being passed over for a promotion

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in jealous

having or showing mean resentment of another's possessions or advantages resentful of her cousin's wealth

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of resentful While all sides are feeling the economic impact and loss of tourism, some are heartened and others resentful. — Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 31 Aug. 2026 By gradually accomplishing a de-facto annexation of the West Bank, the settlements would require Israeli Jews either to rule over a resentful non-Jewish population of about equal size or to surrender the Jewish identity of their state. — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026 Compromising works in your favor today, so no reason to be resentful. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026 Unsurprisingly, residents hate the idea and are resentful that they were blindsided by the announcement. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for resentful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for resentful

Adjective

His second confrontation is with an angry, judgmental version of Original Vision who accuses him of cowardice and inaction for denying his identity for so long.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026
His familiar cast of angry, sometimes menacing children began to give way to quieter, more introspective figures.

— Daniel Cassady for ARTnews, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of angry

Adjective

Many of us know (or have experienced firsthand) this kind of controlling, jealous, obsessive behavior from a romantic partner.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
But Sondheim is a jealous God, or at least his acolytes are even more easily enraged than acolytes usually are.

— Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of jealous

Adjective

The piece is an exuberantly hopeful and unabashedly patriotic look at America and its possibilities that seems downright defiant in such a deeply cynical and divided time in the nation’s history.

— Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026
Far more gruesome and cynical than its YA label would imply, Weiner’s brisk novel is the literary equivalent of a sugar rush.

— Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of cynical

Adjective

After a pair of SEC Championships and a national title during his five-year tenure with the Tigers, Saban departed for the NFL, leaving many folks on the bayou feeling embittered and betrayed.

— Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026
In one scene, Amy heroically assuages an embittered foster kid by returning him to the memory of a fun school field trip.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of embittered

Adjective

The Daily Caller is clearly positioning itself for a landscape not just post-midterms but post- Trump, and for a bitter and intensifying intra-party media battle.

— Max Tani, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Without that delicate balance, the character could have come off as too bitter, on one end of the spectrum, or too tragic.

— Kristen Lopez, IndieWire, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of bitter

Adjective

That reflects a broader national consensus — even amid a rancorous election campaign in which politicians are sparring over other issues — over the need for Chinese investment.

— Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2026
The urge is then to try to make the financial case for paying those up-front costs, with now-rancorous calls for ‘scaling up’ investments in mitigation technologies.

— Stephanie Walton, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of rancorous

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resented

resentful

resentfully

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Style

“Resentful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/resentful. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of resentful

adjective

Example Sentences

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