feud
1 Americannoun
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Also called blood feud. a bitter, continuous hostility, especially between two families, clans, etc., often lasting for many years or generations.
-
a bitter quarrel or contention.
a feud between labor and management.
- Synonyms:
- difference, argument
verb (used without object)
-
feuds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
feuded,
past participle, past
-
feuding
present participle
noun
noun
-
long and bitter hostility between two families, clans, or individuals; vendetta
-
a quarrel or dispute
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
feudsimple
-
feudssimple
-
have feudedperfect
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has feudedperfect
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am feudingprogressive
-
are feudingprogressive
-
is feudingprogressive
-
have been feudingperfect progressive
-
has been feudingperfect progressive
Past
-
feudedsimple
-
had feudedperfect
-
was feudingprogressive
-
were feudingprogressive
-
had been feudingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
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
Explanation
A feud is a long-standing fight, often between two families. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare describes the lovers' long-feuding families, the Capulets and the Montagues. Feuds do not have to be violent—what characterizes them is long-standing hostility. Ethnic groups can sometimes be said to be feuding. Kids in school who refuse to sit at the same lunch table over a period of years could describe their relationship as a feud.
Vocabulary lists containing feud
Beowulf vocabulary
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"Romeo and Juliet" and "West Side Story"
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"The Interlopers" and "An Interview with the King of Terror"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Whether every incident is part of a single feud has not been established.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
The pair married in a glitzy wedding in 2018 but two years later relinquished their role as working royals after a feud with the British royals and moved to North America.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
The couple -- who quit Britain for California six years ago amid a royal feud -- landed in a private jet at Birmingham Airport in central England, The Telegraph newspaper and other media said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
“We both knew the cost of this war,” Cohen said of their longstanding feud.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
He told of an ancient feud between two brothers which split all the world between darkness and light.
From "Grendel" by John Gardner
Murdoch, his business empire and his feuds with his six children have become rich pickings for authors, screenwriters and directors.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
Now his social-media feuds are alienating potential allies and frustrating voters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
His feed is packed with public health information, but also with bitter feuds - including with celebrities - conducted in a style many describe as rude.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
In the medieval era, blood feuds carried on for generations; likewise, today’s wars are often rooted in centuries of pain.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
Besides, his father and uncles were old, and the old lords were like that; they took their dusty feuds to the grave, forgetting nothing and forgiving less.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
Far-right activist Laura Loomer, who has feuded publicly with Yiannopoulos, celebrated his detention and claimed credit for alerting federal authorities to his immigration status in multiple posts on X.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
In 2007, he openly feuded with original “Idol” winner Kelly Clarkson over creative control of her second album.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
Its release was surrounded by chatter of a fissure between the two leads, and the pair have since feuded publicly about each other’s behavior during and after filming.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
Members of his team have feuded over policy.
From BBC ● Dec. 15, 2025
She had feuded for years with another picker named Bertha, who finally put a curse on her.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
A seer whose talent only seemed to arise when she needed to share bad news, Helaena was an unwelcome presence in her feuding family.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
Knicks owner James Dolan began feuding with new mayor Zohran Mamdani over outdoor watch parties.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
In the 2008 film “Rudo y Cursi,” the actors played feuding brothers with dreams of playing soccer professionally.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
No talk of superintelligent machines, no public feuding, just one question: can it make money?
From Barron's ● May 15, 2026
I think of how angry she’s been that I am feuding with him.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
