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.
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a bitter quarrel or contention.
a feud between labor and management.
- Synonyms:
- difference, argument
verb (used without object)
noun
noun
-
long and bitter hostility between two families, clans, or individuals; vendetta
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a quarrel or dispute
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have feudedperfect
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has feudedperfect 3rd person singular
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am feudingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been feudingperfect progressive
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has been feudingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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are feudingprogressive
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feudingparticiple
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feudssingular 3rd person
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is feudingprogressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had feudedperfect
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feudedsimple
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was feudingprogressive singular
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had been feudingperfect progressive
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were feudingprogressive plural
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feudedparticiple
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.
The 46-year-old is the head of the Lyons group, which has been involved in a feud with the rival Daniel group for more than 20 years.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
The data cutoff is part of a continuing industry feud over listings, with Zillow filing an antitrust complaint against MRED.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
The bubbling feud between Coca-Cola products could shake Diet Coke’s incumbent status at fountain sodas across the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
That followed Tesla investors’ approval for that company to also move its headquarters from California to Texas, which stemmed from Musk’s feud with California officials over COVID-era restrictions in 2020.
From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026
But that was as far as our feud went.
From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez
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.
