resentment

1
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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3

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

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 resentment This reduces relationship pitfalls like resentment and contempt. Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 12 Feb. 2025 But this gave way, under the pressure of NATO expansion and of Russia’s traditional resentments and insecurities, to a determinedly anti-Western view that draws on Slavophile thought. Rich Lowry, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025 Indeed, generations of Chinese have viewed Japan as an enemy, with many elders still harboring resentment over atrocities committed by Japanese soldiers during World War II. Ann Scott Tyson, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Feb. 2025 By reading out Musk's words, the students' lawyers are attempting to show that Musk harbors a deep resentment of federal employees, especially in the Department of Education. Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for resentment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for resentment
Noun
  • And again to be blunt, filmmakers and studio execs also maintain feelings and grudges that spill over into and onto fans and press on either side.
    Mark Hughes, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
  • Another mentioned a different kind of bias potentially at play: the grudge theatrical stalwarts still hold against Netflix.
    Nate Jones, Vulture, 22 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Playing boxer Jake LaMotta, Robert De Niro gave all of his mind and body to this portrait of a man destroyed by his anger, his jealousies, his pride, his retrograde notions of manhood.
    EW.com, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2025
  • Commonplace virtues turn toward vice: compassion veers toward deceit, attentive parenting toward either laxity or oppressiveness, friendship toward jealousy or contempt, sociability toward falsehood or cruelty.
    Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Even the mere thought of it can evoke strong emotions like fear, anger and anxiety.
    Ujjwal Ramtekkar, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Ellen’s decision to end her husband’s life was not an act of anger or violence.
    Tony Ray, Orlando Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Worse still, the new tech might become a lightning rod for various unrelated grievances in the company.
    Claus Jepsen, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
  • To those points and like other major pro leagues, the NBA requires that teams resolve their grievances against one another in a private arbitration forum overseen by the commissioner.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Democrats, blinded by their hatred of him, have ignored this.
    Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Debra Messing, who has produced a new documentary on (horseshoe-theory) antisemitism called October 8, has been one of Hollywood’s few intensely admirable exceptions, calling out anti-Jewish hatred with a fierce constancy over the past 16 months.
    Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Volunteers were charged around 25 cents per huff, bringing in good profit for those who’d invested in the necessary gas tanks, tubes, and breathing bags.
    Oshan Jarow, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
  • The huffs and hums, produced by two women standing face-to-face and vocalizing from their throats, is believed to be one of the oldest music forms in the world.
    Lale Arikoglu, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Aug. 2024
Noun
  • Trump was willing to give detente a shot but underwent a 180-degree turn after the first sign of frustration.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Many end users have voiced their frustration with the difficulty of opening the new packages and the risks associated with using sharp tools.
    Bill Schiffmiller, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • If Jude’s previous two fiction films were Molotov cocktails of indignation, his latest secretes a kind of scentless poison that gets at the banality with which social injustices are processed and rationalized.
    Beatrice Loayza, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
  • There was a pervasive sense of indignation from current and former European officials, who have funneled significant aid to Ukraine and are deeply worried about how a ceasefire deal could impact the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) eastern edge.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 15 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Resentment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/resentment. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.

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