feud

¹

[ fyood ]

noun

1. Also called blood feud. a bitter, continuous hostility, especially between two families, clans, etc., often lasting for many years or generations.
2. a bitter quarrel or contention:

   a feud between labor and management.

   Synonyms: difference, argument

verb (used without object)

1. to engage in a feud.

feud

²

[ fyood ]

noun

1. fee ( def 4 ).

feud

¹

/ fjuːd /

noun

1. feudal law land held in return for service

feud

²

/ fjuːd /

noun

1. long and bitter hostility between two families, clans, or individuals; vendetta
2. a quarrel or dispute

verb

1. intr to take part in or carry on a feud

Word History and Origins

Origin of feud¹

1300–50; variant of fead ( a misread as u ), Middle English fede < Middle French fe ( i ) de < Old High German fēhida; cognate with Old English fǣhth enmity. See foe, -th ¹

Origin of feud²

1605–15; < Medieval Latin feudum, variant of feodum. See fee

Word History and Origins

Origin of feud¹

C17: from Medieval Latin feodum , of Germanic origin; see fee

Origin of feud²

C13 fede , from Old French feide , from Old High German fēhida ; related to Old English fæhth hostility; see foe

Example Sentences

The two men sat in the Oval Office and shook hands, a somewhat disorienting image given their history of volatile public feuds.

From Salon

Newsom’s public feuds with Trump and Trump’s petty desire to punish the state led to multiple battles over healthcare funding, immigrant detention facilities, and disaster relief.

From Salon

DeRozan told reporters at the time that he still considered Drake a friend, and compared the feud to a spectacle along the lines of Michael Jordan facing Kobe Bryant one-on-one.

From BBC

He also famously feuded with Swift over the rights to her master recordings.

From Los Angeles Times

The Old Bailey heard Ms Gordon had been the unintended victim of a feud between rival local gangs.

From BBC

Related Words

• altercation
• bad blood
• bickering
• conflict
• contest
• controversy
• disagreement
• discord
• dispute
• dissension
• enmity
• fight
• fracas
• hostility
• quarrel
• rivalry
• row
• run-in
• squabble
• strife