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 Those two departments, however, may find this sales job a challenge, between resentment over Trump’s on-and-off tariffs and State’s loss of personnel through firings and resignations. PC Magazine, 24 July 2025 Still, my question to Chantel is, why come on the show if there’s so much resentment towards her mother? Dominique Fluker, Essence, 24 July 2025 In today’s political landscape where the central government remains weak and its control over various armed groups is limited, religious stigmatization and political resentment create fertile ground for mass violence targeting the Alawites. Güneş Murat Tezcür, The Conversation, 23 July 2025 Not helping is lingering resentment about an LDP funding scandal, and US tariffs of 25 percent due to bite from August 1 if there is no trade deal with the United States. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 20 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for resentment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for resentment
Noun
  • In the End, Tommy Fleetwood's Character Will Prevail Despite this awkward situation, Fleetwood has no plans to hold too many grudges about what happened.
    Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025
  • President Donald Trump singled out Brazil for import taxes of 50% on Wednesday for its treatment of its former president, Jair Bolsonaro, showing that personal grudges rather than simple economics are a driving force in the U.S. leader’s use of tariffs.
    Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 9 July 2025
Noun
  • Speaking of her village, a month earlier, the reality star opened up about how close her family is, revealing that there is some amount of jealousy between her daughter and her cousins.
    Hannah Sacks, People.com, 23 July 2025
  • My Beanie Baby-collecting younger self is beside herself with jealousy… but the Pop Mart founder, Wang Ning, is laughing all the way to the bank.
    Maggie McGrath, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
Noun
  • Pressure to release more documents has built both from within Trump's base and from Democrats seizing on their anger.
    Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
  • Grief isn’t a set of stages Many people still think of grief through the lens of psychiatrist Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ five stages of grief, popularized in the early 1970s: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.
    Liza Barros-Lane, The Conversation, 17 July 2025
Noun
  • After their move to California, the couple began to air their grievances in interviews and documentaries.
    Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2025
  • Other factions have taken the opportunity to air their own grievances, including left-wing complaints that von der Leyen’s center-right group is too close to the far right, particularly on environmental rules.
    semafor.com, semafor.com, 10 July 2025
Noun
  • Many were subjected to many forms of hatred spawned from these misunderstandings.
    Meredith Kile, People.com, 21 July 2025
  • Despite his extensive progressive bona fides, Wertham’s hatred of the comics medium has forever branded him a right-wing zealot in the minds of comic fans.
    Vasilis K. Pozios, HollywoodReporter, 18 July 2025
Noun
  • Getty Images To date, the post has amassed more than 900 comments from TikTok viewers, many of them poking fun at the golden retriever mother's annoyed expression and shallow huffs.
    Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
  • The chute opens, and rambunctious No. 2 bursts out with an impatient huff.
    Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Other operators have expressed similar frustration, and some members of Congress have signaled support for an overhaul.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 22 July 2025
  • That move has divided GOP lawmakers — including many who see Trump as simply airing his frustration with the Fed’s choice to leave interest rates unchanged amid shifting tariff policy.
    Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 22 July 2025
Noun
  • At the heart of Nugent’s indignation was the 2021 sting operation that entangled him and three other landowners in a legal battle with the DNR.
    Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 30 July 2025
  • That indignation, those headlines, the praise for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s bravery and leadership cooling dramatically since those early days–in Europe and America.
    Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Resentment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/resentment. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.

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