Synonyms of resentment

resentment

noun

ri-ˈzent-mənt 

1

as in grudge

a lingering ill will towards a person for a real or imagined wrong

if you continue to harbor resentment toward your father, you'll never be able to move on with your life

Synonyms & Similar Words

• grudge
• grievance
• hostility
• bitterness
• score
• condemnation
• malice
• animosity
• spite
• enmity
• complaint
• antagonism
• down
• umbrage
• malevolence
• meanness
• rancor
• antipathy
• offense
• venom
• spleen
• viciousness
• spitefulness
• despite
• pique
• hatefulness
• dudgeon
• maliciousness
• huff
• peeve
• nastiness

2

as in jealousy

a painful awareness of another's possessions or advantages and a desire to have them too

I don't have any resentment over my friend's luxurious house

Synonyms & Similar Words

• jealousy
• hatred
• envy
• animosity
• enmity
• enviousness
• malice
• covetousness
• invidiousness
• green-eyed monster
• spitefulness
• ill will
• maliciousness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sympathy
• kindness
• goodwill
• benevolence

3

as in anger

the feeling of being offended or resentful after a slight or indignity

my resentment at being spoken to like I'm stupid

Synonyms & Similar Words

• anger
• huff
• frustration
• indignation
• irritation
• exasperation
• umbrage
• offense
• pique
• dudgeon
• displeasure
• annoyance
• discomfort
• outrage
• grief
• peeve
• miff
• indignity
• ire
• agitation
• upset
• angriness
• distress
• perturbation
• aggravation
• vexation
• insult
• disturbance
• temper
• dander
• tantrum
• affront
• pet
• slight
• bother
• irateness
• pouts
• tizzy
• barb
• slur
• brickbat
• botheration
• fit
• slap
• sulk(s)
• dig
• put-down

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• satisfaction
• pacification
• appeasement
• happiness
• pleasure
• gratification
• contentment
• delight
• mollification

Synonym Chooser

How is the word resentment distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of resentment are dudgeon, huff, offense, pique, and umbrage. While all these words mean "an emotional response to or an emotional state resulting from a slight or indignity," resentment suggests lasting indignation or ill will.

harbored a lifelong resentment of his brother

When could dudgeon be used to replace resentment?

While the synonyms dudgeon and resentment are close in meaning, dudgeon suggests an angry fit of indignation.

stormed out of the meeting in high dudgeon

When can huff be used instead of resentment?

While in some cases nearly identical to resentment, huff implies a peevish short-lived spell of anger usually at a petty cause.

in a huff he slammed the door

When might offense be a better fit than resentment?

Although the words offense and resentment have much in common, offense implies hurt displeasure.

takes deep offense at racial slurs

When is pique a more appropriate choice than resentment?

The words pique and resentment are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, pique applies to a transient feeling of wounded vanity.

in a pique I foolishly declined the invitation

When is it sensible to use umbrage instead of resentment?

The meanings of umbrage and resentment largely overlap; however, umbrage may suggest hurt pride, resentment, or suspicion of another's motives.

took umbrage at the offer of advice

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of resentment

Out of such poverty comes hatred, resentment and a desire for revenge, and this cycle of hostility can continue for years. —Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026

Maybe the mere fact of having been born illustrious, with no apparent faults, with nothing to prove or to be ashamed of, had liberated John from the resentments the rest of us feel, and from the cunning and ambition such resentments fuel. —Jeffrey Eugenides, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2026

What would be stupid is mandating the creation of a permanent underclass, driving the resentment and parallel societies that plagued Germany — and doing so in defiance of the Constitution. —Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026

Simmering resentments came to a head in 2023 in the tiny nearby town of Jasper when it was revealed that two Walton grandchildren were exploring whether there would be support to pursue national park and preserve status for one of Arkansas’s most important natural icons, the Buffalo National River. —Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026