ressentiment
noun
res·sen·ti·ment
rə-ˌsäⁿ-tē-ˈmäⁿ 
: 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
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.
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
Dictionary Entries Near ressentiment
Cite this Entry
“Ressentiment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ressentiment. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
ressentiment
noun
res·sen·ti·ment
rə-säⁿ-tē-ˈmäⁿ
: deep-seated resentment, frustration, and hostility accompanied by a sense of being powerless to express these feelings directly
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share