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

• down [chiefly British]
• grievance
• grudge
• score

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

On both sides of Kashmir’s line of control, people feel powerless as their politicians rehash old arguments, potentially reigniting decades of smoldering resentment. —Nic Robertson, CNN Money, 5 May 2025

Beyond the politics is a complex brew of resentment and reverence that the president, an Ivy League graduate himself, has long harbored for a club that has never really accepted him. —Elisabeth Bumiller, New York Times, 4 May 2025

Marin County, California—watery and remote—is the setting as Finney and Keaton hurtle from pained resentment to jealousy, lust, and violent anger. —Marley Marius, Vogue, 30 Apr. 2025

To many observers, Modi’s success stemmed from his willingness to play on profound resentments, which for decades had been considered offensive to voice in polite society. —Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1619, 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