Meanings
resent1
present singular third person resents · participle present resenting · participle past resented · past resented
- transitiveTo feel resentment over; to consider as an affront.
The bride greatly resented being left at the church.
5 more examples
These books will fill, and well fill, certain stretches of life […] But in old or nervous or solemnest or dying hours, when one needs the impalpably soothing and vitalizing influences of abysmic Nature, or its affinities in literature or human society, and the soul resents the keenest mere intellection, they will not be sought for.
1892, Walt Whitman, “Notes Left Over: Emerson's Books”, in Complete Prose WorksMother very rightly resented the slightest hint of condescension. She considered that the exclusiveness of Peter's circle was due not to its distinction, but to the fact that it was an inner Babylon of prodigality and whoredom,[…].
1921, Ben Travers, chapter 2, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC[…] of all the sections of a ship's company, the forecastlemen, veterans for the most part and bigoted in their sea-prejudices, are the most jealous in resenting territorial encroachments […]
1924, Herman Melville, chapter 12, in Billy Budd, London: Constable & Co.so that they resent recent Kartvelian encroachment on their land, which has been accompanied by repeated attempts to Georgianize them.
1995, Anna Kreikemeyer, Andreĭ Vladimirovich Zagorskiĭ, Crisis management in the CIS: whither Russia?Boys’ basketball boosters say something is missing in the stands at away games, cheerleaders resent not being able to meet their rivals on the road, and even female basketball players being hurrahed are unhappy.
2007 January 14, Winnie Hu, “Equal Cheers for Boys and Girls Draw Some Boos”, in The New York Times - transitiveTo express displeasure or indignation at.
Do you resent us for offering you that choice?
1 more example
The good prince King James […] bore dishonourably what he might have resented safely.
1743, Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke, Remarks on the History of England - obsoletetransitiveTo be sensible of; to feel.
- obsoletetransitiveIn a positive sense, to take well; to receive with satisfaction.
[…] which makes the tragical ends of noble persons more favorably resented by compassionate readers.
1658, Thomas Browne, “(please specify the page)”, in Hydriotaphia, Urne-buriall, […] Together with The Garden of Cyrus, […], London: […] Hen[ry] Brome […], →OCLC - obsoleteTo recognize; to perceive, especially as if by smelling; -- associated in meaning with sent, the older spelling of scent, to smell. See resent (intransitive verb).
Perchance as vulturs are ſaid to ſmell the earthlineſſe of a dying corps; ſo this bird of prey reſented a worſe than earthly ſavour in the ſoul of Saul, an evidence of his death at hand.
1642, Thomas Fuller, “The Witch of Endor”, in The Holy State, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Roger Daniel for John Williams, […], →OCLC, book V (The Profane State), page 3711 more example
But our King Henrie the ſeventh (being too good a ſenſer to miſtake a flouriſh for a blow) quickly reſented his drift (which was to perſwade our King to peace, till Charles ſhould perform his projects in little Britain and elſewhere) and dealt with him accordingly.
1639, Thomas Fuller, “The Fortunes of Jerusalem since the Holy Warre; and Her Present Estate”, in The Historie of the Holy Warre, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Thomas Buck, one of the printers to the Universitie of Cambridge [and sold by John Williams, London], →OCLC, book V (A Supplement of the Historie of the Holy Warre), page 273 - obsoleteTo give forth an odor; to smell; to savor.
resent2
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
resent · verb
- Old Frenchresentir
- Middle Frenchressentir
- Englishresent
From Middle French ressentir, resentir, from Old French resentir (Modern ressentir), from re- + sentir (“to feel”).
More words from Middle French, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian негодувам, възмущавам се
- негодувам (negoduvam)to feel resentment
- възмущавам се (văzmuštavam se)to express displeasure or indignation at
Catalan resentir-se
- resentir-seto feel resentment
Chinese Mandarin 怨恨, 憤慨 /愤慨
- 怨恨to feel resentment
- 憤慨 /愤慨 (fènkǎi)to express displeasure or indignation at
Czech nesnášet, zazlívat
- nesnášetto feel resentment
- zazlívatto feel resentment
- cítit odporto feel resentment
- nelibě néstto feel resentment
- nelibě néstto express displeasure or indignation at
Dutch wrok koesteren, zijn ongenoegen uiten
- wrok koesterento feel resentment
- zijn ongenoegen uitento express displeasure or indignation at
- zich storen aanto express displeasure or indignation at
Finnish pahastua, paheksua
- pahastuato feel resentment
- paheksuato express displeasure or indignation at
French avoir de l'amertume, exprimer son mécontentement
- avoir de l'amertumeto feel resentment
- exprimer son mécontentementto express displeasure or indignation at
- s'indignerto express displeasure or indignation at
German grollen, böse sein
- grollento feel resentment
- böse seinto feel resentment
- hassento feel resentment
- sich ärgernto express displeasure or indignation at
- empört seinto express displeasure or indignation at
- sich empörento express displeasure or indignation at
- übelnehmento express displeasure or indignation at
- verübelnto express displeasure or indignation at
- übel nehmento express displeasure or indignation at
Greek αγανακτώ, αγανακτώ
- αγανακτώ (aganaktó)to feel resentment
- αγανακτώ (aganaktó)to express displeasure or indignation at
Hungarian neheztel, zokon vesz
- neheztelto feel resentment
- zokon veszto feel resentment
- rossz néven veszto feel resentment
- sérelmezto express displeasure or indignation at
Icelandic taka einhverju illa, taka eitthvað óstinnt upp
- taka einhverju illato express displeasure or indignation at
- taka eitthvað óstinnt uppto express displeasure or indignation at
- gremjast eitthvaðto express displeasure or indignation at
- vera misboðið með einhverjuto express displeasure or indignation at
Indonesian dendam, iri
- dendamto feel resentment
- irito feel resentment
Japanese 憤慨する
- 憤慨する (fungai suru)to express displeasure or indignation at
Māori mānatunatu, takarita
- mānatunatuto feel resentment
- takaritato express displeasure or indignation at
Persian دلخور شدن, دلخور شدن
- دلخور شدن (delxor šodan)to feel resentment
- دلخور شدن (delxor šodan)to express displeasure or indignation at
Portuguese ressentir
- ressentirto express displeasure or indignation at
Russian негодова́ть, возмуща́ться и́з-за
- негодова́ть (negodovátʹ)to feel resentment
- возмуща́ться и́з-за (vozmuščátʹsja íz-za)to express displeasure or indignation at
- возмути́ться (vozmutítʹsja)to express displeasure or indignation at
- вопи́ть (vopítʹ)to express displeasure or indignation at
- возопи́ть (vozopítʹ)to express displeasure or indignation at
- поднима́ть крик (podnimátʹ krik)to express displeasure or indignation at
- подня́ть крик (podnjátʹ krik)to express displeasure or indignation at
- протестова́ть (protestovátʹ)to express displeasure or indignation at
- негодова́ть (negodovátʹ)to express displeasure or indignation at
Spanish resentir, resentirse
- resentirto feel resentment
- resentirseto feel resentment
- indignarseto feel resentment
Turkish içerlemek, zoruna gitmek
- içerlemekto feel resentment
- zoruna gitmekto feel resentment
- darılmakto express displeasure or indignation at
- gücenmekto express displeasure or indignation at
- alınmakto express displeasure or indignation at
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with resent
Anagrams
Cite this entry
resent. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/resent
“resent.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/resent. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “resent,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/resent.
Source: resent on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.