resent

resent — verb

1. to feel angry and upset about something because you believe it is unfair or that

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to feel angry and upset about something because you believe it is unfair or that someone is treating you badly — for example, resenting having to do extra work while co-workers do less, or resenting the way a manager speaks to you.

Example

Jisoo resented having to work late while her colleagues left early.

resent + V-ing

Tamar bitterly resented the rent increase her landlord imposed every year.

collocation: bitterly resent

Common collocations
  • deeply resent
  • bitterly resent
  • resent the fact that
  • come to resent
  • begin to resent
  • resent + possessive + gerund (e.g. resent his leaving)
Synonyms
  • begrudge

    Often implies envy and a sense that someone does not deserve what they have (e.g. begrudge someone their success), whereas resent focuses more on unfair treatment of oneself.

  • take offense at

    More about feeling personally insulted or hurt by a specific remark or action; resent can be about ongoing situations, not just single events.

  • be bitter about

    More informal and descriptive; implies a lingering, sour feeling that may have built up over time.

Antonyms
  • welcome

    To be happy to receive or accept something — direct opposite of the forced-acceptance feeling in resent.

  • accept

    To willingly agree to something; resent is the emotional rejection of something one is forced to accept.

Grammar Patterns

resent + noun/pronoun

resent + gerund (V-ing)

resent + someone + gerund

resent + the fact that + clause

Usage Note

Emotionally stronger than 'dislike' or 'be annoyed at'; implies a sense of unfairness or being treated unjustly. Always transitive — must take a direct object, a gerund, or a that-clause. Common in written English but also used in everyday speech when expressing strong frustration.

Common Mistakes

I resent to do all the cleaning.
I resented doing all the cleaning.
resent takes a gerund (V-ing), not an infinitive.
She resented me a little.' (when meaning mild annoyance)
She was slightly annoyed with me.
resent expresses strong, lasting bitterness, not mild irritation.

Word family

  • resentment
    nounB2
  • resentful
    adjectiveB2
  • resentfully
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All three words describe negative reactions, but they differ in what triggers them. 'Resent' focuses on unfairness: you resent being forced to accept something you think is wrong. 'Begrudge' adds envy — you begrudge someone their good fortune, whereas you resent a situation that treats you badly. 'Take offense at' is about personal insult: a remark or action that targets you directly, not necessarily an ongoing unfair situation. 'Dislike' is the mildest — it simply means you do not like something, without the emotional weight of unfairness. For example: you might dislike cold weather (no unfairness), take offense at a rude comment, begrudge a colleague their promotion, but resent being passed over for promotion yourself.

begrudgetake offense atdislike ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • come to resent
  • begin to resent
  • learn to resent
  • resent the fact that

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Comes from French 'ressentir' (to feel strongly), formed from 're-' (an intensifier) + 'sentir' (to feel), from Latin 'sentire' (to feel, perceive). The original sense was simply 'feel strongly', which later narrowed to the negative meaning of feeling anger about unfair treatment — a shift that happened in the 1500s.