Standard Lemma guide

ressentiment

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: rə-säɴ'tē-mäɴʹ
  • US: /ɹəˌsɑ̃.tiˈmɑ̃/
  • UK: /ɹɛˌsɒ̃tɪˈmɒ̃/

1

noun

Meaning 1

Obsolete form of resentment.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, countable, obsolete, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a sense of resentment arising from deep-seated feelings of envy or hatred, leading the resentful one to blame it on an external agent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Qualifier: social psychology

Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From French ressentiment, from an archaic usage of the verb ressentir, via Old French sentir from Latin sentiō, sentīre (“to feel”); in the second sense a semantic loan from German Ressentiment. Doublet of resentiment and resentment.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 無名怨憤 /无名怨愤 (wúmíng yuànfèn) — resentment arising from envy and hatred
  • Chinese Mandarin: 無名怨忿 /无名怨忿 (wúmíng yuànfèn) — resentment arising from envy and hatred
  • Chinese Mandarin: 怨恨 (yuànhèn) — resentment arising from envy and hatred
  • Dutch: verontwaardiging — resentment arising from envy and hatred
  • Dutch: vrevel — resentment arising from envy and hatred
  • Dutch: wrok — resentment arising from envy and hatred
  • Finnish: kauna — resentment arising from envy and hatred
  • French: ressentiment — resentment arising from envy and hatred
  • Japanese: 怨念 (onnen) — resentment arising from envy and hatred
  • Japanese: 恨み (urami) — resentment arising from envy and hatred
  • Russian: злопыха́тельство (zlopyxátelʹstvo) — resentment arising from envy and hatred
  • Russian: озлобле́ние (ozloblénije) — resentment arising from envy and hatred