resentment (English)

Where does "resentment" come from?

The word "resentment" traces its roots back to the Proto-Indo-European root *sent-, meaning "to feel" or "go," which evolved into the Latin verb sentire. This sense of feeling passed through Old and Middle French as "ressentir" before entering English, where it merged with the suffix "-ment" to describe the act of internalizing a perceived wrong. Over time, the word shifted from a neutral term for awareness or impression to its modern definition denoting lingering displeasure and indignation.

Full etymology tree

resentment (English), 'Anger or displeasure stemming from belief that one or one's group has been wronged or betrayed by others; indignation.'
- derived resent (English), 'To feel resentment over; to consider as an affront.'
  - inherited ressentir (Middle French)
    - prefix re- (Middle French), 're- (again; once more)'
    - derived sentir (Old French), 'to feel (have a feeling)'
      - inherited sentīre (Latin), 'inflection of sentiō:'
        inherited *sentjō (Proto-Italic), 'to feel, to sense, to perceive'
        inherited *sent- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to go'
- suffix -ment (English), 'Attached to a verb to form a noun meaning the action denoted by the verb or its result.'

Direct ancestors

Updated July 2026

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris