grudge

[ gruhj ]

noun

1. a feeling of ill will or resentment:

   to hold a grudge against a former opponent.

   Synonyms: bitterness, hatred, enmity, malevolence, rancor

adjective

1. done, arranged, etc., in order to settle a grudge:

   The middleweight fight was said to be a grudge match.

verb (used with object)

, grudged, grudg·ing.

1. to give or permit with reluctance; submit to unwillingly:

   The other team grudged us every point we scored.

2. to resent the good fortune of (another); begrudge:

   A lot of people grudge those billionaires all that money.

   Synonyms: envy

verb (used without object)

, grudged, grudg·ing.

1. Obsolete. to feel dissatisfaction or ill will.

grudge

/ ɡrʌdʒ /

noun

1. a persistent feeling of resentment, esp one due to some cause, such as an insult or injury
2. modifier planned or carried out in order to settle a grudge

   a grudge fight

verb

1. tr to give or allow unwillingly
2. to feel resentful or envious about (someone else's success, possessions, etc)

Derived Forms

• ˈgrudgingly, adverb
• ˈgrudgeless, adjective
• ˈgrudger, noun
• ˈgrudging, adjective

Other Words From

• grudgeless adjective
• grudger noun
• un·grudged adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of grudge¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English grudgen, gruggen, variant of gruchen, from Old French gro(u)c(h)ier, from Germanic; compare Middle High German grogezen “to complain, cry out”

Word History and Origins

Origin of grudge¹

C15: from Old French grouchier to grumble, probably of Germanic origin; compare Old High German grunnizōn to grunt

Idioms and Phrases

see bear a grudge ; nurse a grudge .

Synonym Study

Grudge, malice, spite refer to ill will held against another or others. A grudge is a feeling of resentment harbored because of some real or fancied wrong: to hold a grudge because of jealousy; She has a grudge against him. Malice is the state of mind that delights in doing harm, or seeing harm done, to others, whether expressing itself in an attempt seriously to injure or merely in sardonic humor: malice in watching someone's embarrassment; to tell lies about someone out of malice. Spite is petty, and often sudden, resentment that manifests itself usually in trifling retaliations: to reveal a secret out of spite.

Example Sentences

With the vast machinery of the Justice Department at his disposal, Gaetz could create a living hell for everyone against whom Trump holds a grudge, subjecting them to arrest and pretrial detention, even if the bogus charges later fizzle out in the court.

From Slate

In the current climate of social media debate, 24/7 punditry and tribal fandom, it will provide fuel for the conspiracy theorists who believe that any decision made against their team is provoked by a grudge, personal bias or dislike of their particular club.

From BBC

They said that they believed the consultants had a "personal grudge" against Letby, which they were "at a loss" to understand.

From BBC

This is a bit of a grudge match after what happened when Arsenal came to St James' Park last season and lost to a controversial Anthony Gordon goal.

From BBC

And it’s reasonable to wonder whether those C-suites are hoping to hedge their bets in advance of a very, very tight presidential election in which one of the candidates is a vindictive jerk with a massive grudge against the legacy media.

From Slate

Related Words

• animosity
• animus
• antipathy
• bad blood
• bitterness
• enmity
• grievance
• hard feelings
• hatred
• ill will
• injustice
• malice
• rancor
• resentment