/ɹɪˈzɛnt/
Say it backResent is a verb meaning to feel bitter or indignantly ill toward someone or something, often due to a perceived unfairness or disrespect. It can also describe the act of sending something back or again, though this latter sense is rare in modern usage. The primary sense centers on inward emotional response rather than outward action. In many contexts, it combines grievance with lingering animosity.
"She began to resent the way her colleagues took credit for her ideas."
"He resents the decision that limited his authority."
"Residents resent the noise from the construction site at night."
Pronounced re-SENT with two syllables. The first vowel is a short /ɪ/ sound as in kit for the US and UK variants, and the second syllable carries the stressed /z/–/ɛ/–/nt sequence: /rɪˈzɛnt/. The stress falls on the second syllable. Start with a light initial /r/ followed by a short /ɪ/, then move to a clear /z/ and the open-mid /ɛ/ before the final /nt/ release. In connected speech, the /ɪ/ in the first syllable may be lax, but the /z/ and /ɛ/ remain distinct. Audio references: you can check Cambridge/Oxford dictionaries’ pronunciation clips or Forvo entries for US/UK/AU variants to compare subtle vowel timing.
Two common errors: (1) pronouncing it as re-sent with a long /iː/ or /eɪ/ in the first syllable, which shifts the vowel away from the short /ɪ/; (2) softening the final -ent to /ənt/ or dropping the /t/ in casual speech, leading to /rɪˈzɛn/ or /rɪˈzɛn/ without the /t/. Correct by keeping the first syllable as /rɪ/ and the second as /zɛnt/ with a crisp /t/ at the end. Emphasize the /z/ transition and avoid a silent or nebulous final /t/.
In US English, /rɪˈzɛnt/ with a rhotic initial /r/ and a clear /z/ and /ɛ/. UK English also /rɪˈzɛnt/ but with non-rhotic influence sometimes making the /r/ less pronounced before a vowel; the /ə/ in unstressed positions is less likely here, keeping /zɛnt/ crisp. Australian English tends to be rhotic but may show slightly broader vowels: /rɪˈzɛnt/ with a more open /ɛ/ and a faintly centralized final vowel; the /t/ may be slightly softer or even a glottal stop in rapid speech. Core sequence /rɪˈzɛnt/ remains stable, but vowel quality and final consonant release can vary.
The difficulty lies in the rapid transition from the short /ɪ/ to the voiced /z/ and then to the mid/open /ɛ/ of /zɛnt/, especially if the speaker has a tendency to shorten the first syllable or blend /z/ with a palatal release. Achieve clarity by articulating /r/ and /ɪ/ distinctly, producing a crisp /z/ before the /ɛ/ and ensuring the final /nt/ is released. Pay attention to avoiding vowel reduction in the first syllable when clarity is needed.
No silent letters in resent, and the primary stress is on the second syllable: re-SENT. The challenge is not silence but precise articulation of the /z/ onset in the second syllable and the final /t/. Stress stays on the second syllable in normal speech, with secondary emphasis on the word’s role in a sentence depending on contrast or focus. IPA reference: /rɪˈzɛnt/ (US/UK/AU).
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Resent originates from the Latin word resentire, formed from re- ‘again’ and sentire ‘to feel.’ In late Middle English, the form resent took on the sense of feeling something again—typically a grievance. Over time, the sense narrowed to the emotional response of bitterness or indignation toward a person, action, or situation. The pronunciation settled into the two-syllable pattern re-sent, with the primary stress on the second syllable in many variants due to the verb’s suffix -sent. The word appears in printed English by the 16th century, with the sense of resentful emotion appearing in Shakespearean and post-Shakespearean prose and later in modern usage to describe personalized grievance rather than mere dislike. Today, “resent” is almost exclusively used for inward emotional reaction (to resent someone’s behavior) rather than any literal return or send-back sense. The historical shift reflects social psychology toward internal attribution of offense rather than outward action. Contemporary usage emphasizes subjectivity and often pairs with nouns like “resentment,” “resentful,” or “resenting.”
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "resent" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "resent"
-ent sounds
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