ressentiment: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal, Academic, Literary
Quick answer
What does “ressentiment” mean?
A prolonged, bitter, and often repressed feeling of resentment, envy, and hatred, typically arising from a sense of inferiority or powerlessness, that can poison one's outlook.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A prolonged, bitter, and often repressed feeling of resentment, envy, and hatred, typically arising from a sense of inferiority or powerlessness, that can poison one's outlook.
In philosophy and critical theory (especially following Nietzsche), it denotes a psychological state where oppressed individuals or groups, unable to express their hostility directly, develop a moral system that devalues the qualities (like strength, success, health) of their perceived oppressors, labelling them as 'evil' while valorising their own weakness as 'good'. It's a form of toxic, internalised grievance.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant spelling or pronunciation differences. The word is equally rare and specialised in both varieties.
Connotations
Identical academic/philosophical connotations in both regions.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in general usage, confined almost exclusively to academic texts in philosophy, sociology, political theory, and literary criticism.
Grammar
How to Use “ressentiment” in a Sentence
Noun: The [group/individual] was driven by ressentiment.Verb + ressentiment: to analyse/explore/embody/express ressentimentPreposition: a politics based on ressentiment; the psychology of ressentimentVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “ressentiment” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The critic argued that the movement's ideology was essentially ressentimented.
- He seemed to ressentiment every success of his former colleague.
American English
- The commentator claimed the rhetoric was clearly ressentiment-driven.
- Her worldview had become deeply ressentimented over the years.
adverb
British English
- He spoke ressentimently about his rivals' accolades.
- The policy was ressentimently conceived to punish success.
American English
- She viewed his promotion ressentimently, seeing it as unjust.
- The legislation was seen as ressentimently motivated.
adjective
British English
- He delivered a ressentiment-fuelled tirade against the establishment.
- The novel explores a character's ressentiment psychology.
American English
- The article described a ressentiment-based political strategy.
- His arguments had a distinct, ressentiment-laden tone.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Common in critical theory, philosophy, and political science to describe the psychological underpinnings of certain ideological movements or moral systems.
Everyday
Extremely rare; would likely be misunderstood as a misspelling of 'resentment'.
Technical
A precise term in Nietzschean and post-Nietzschean philosophy and social psychology.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “ressentiment”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “ressentiment”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “ressentiment”
- Misspelling as 'resentment'.
- Using it as a direct synonym for simple, transient anger or annoyance.
- Mispronouncing by dropping the nasal vowels (/rəˌsɒn.tɪˈmɒnt/ is common but incorrect).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While related, 'ressentiment' is a more complex, technical term. It describes a chronic, formative state of mind that involves repressed hostility, envy, and a moral re-evaluation of the qualities one lacks, whereas 'resentment' is a more general feeling of indignation or bitterness.
In very formal or academic contexts where the word is expected, an approximation of the French pronunciation (/rəˌsɑ̃n.tiˈmɑ̃/) is preferred. In casual English discussion, anglicising it to /ˌrɛ.sən.tɪˈmɒn/ is common, though purists may object.
It is a key term in Continental Philosophy (especially Nietzsche, Scheler), Critical Theory, Political Theory, Sociology, and Literary Criticism, where analysing power dynamics, ideology, and morality is central.
Almost never. The term carries a strongly negative and critical connotation. It describes a psychologically and socially destructive state. Using it usually implies a critique of the person or group said to be experiencing it.
A prolonged, bitter, and often repressed feeling of resentment, envy, and hatred, typically arising from a sense of inferiority or powerlessness, that can poison one's outlook.
Ressentiment is usually formal, academic, literary in register.
Ressentiment: in British English it is pronounced /rəˌsɒ̃.tiˈmɒ̃/, and in American English it is pronounced /rəˌsɑ̃n.tiˈmɑ̃/ or /ˌrɛ.sɑ̃n.tiˈmɑ̃/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A slave morality born of ressentiment.”
- “To be in the grip of ressentiment.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of REsentment that has been left to SENTImentally FERMENT (re-senti-ment). It's a bitter, aged, and potent emotional brew.
Conceptual Metaphor
RESSENTIMENT IS A POISON / A DISEASE / A PRISON. (e.g., 'The ressentiment poisoning his worldview', 'a sickness of ressentiment', 'trapped in a cycle of ressentiment').
Practice
Quiz
In Nietzschean philosophy, 'ressentiment' is most closely associated with: