grudge

American  

[gruhj] / grʌdʒ /

noun

1. a feeling of ill will or resentment.

   to hold a grudge against a former opponent.

   Synonyms:

   hatred, enmity, malevolence, rancor, bitterness

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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, grudging

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, grudging

1. Obsolete. to feel dissatisfaction or ill will.

grudge British  

/ 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

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verb

1. (tr) to give or allow unwillingly

2. to feel resentful or envious about (someone else's success, possessions, etc)

grudge Idioms  

1. see bear a grudge; nurse a grudge.

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Usage

What does grudge mean? A grudge is a feeling of anger, bitterness, or resentment toward someone for something they did, especially a wrong that you think they committed against you. The word grudge is typically used to refer to such a feeling when it has been held for a long period of time—often longer than is considered normal. For that reason, grudge is often used in phrases like hold a grudge, nurse a grudge, bear a grudge, and harbor a grudge. Grudges are usually directed toward people, but a person can hold a grudge against a group or an entity like a company or organization. The word grudge is often followed by the word against and whom or what the grudge is directed toward, as in Your father still holds a grudge against that pizzeria for getting his order wrong that one time. A grudge match is a competition, such as a boxing match, between opponents who have (or are depicted as having) some specific, personal reason for being bitter rivals. Less commonly, grudge can be used as a verb meaning to resent or envy someone else’s good fortune, as in Don’t grudge them for their success. The related verb begrudge can be used to mean the same thing. Grudge can also mean to give or allow with reluctance or unwillingness, as in My company has grudged me every raise I have requested. The verb begrudge doesn’t necessarily mean the same thing as this sense of grudge. Specifically, begrudge often means to be reluctant to give or allow—as opposed to meaning to give or allow reluctantly. Example: She has held a grudge against me ever since I beat her in the spelling bee in fifth grade.

Related Words

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.

Other Word Forms

• grudgeless adjective
• grudger noun
• grudging adjective
• grudgingly adverb
• ungrudged adjective

Etymology

Origin of grudge

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”

Explanation

If you tend to hold a grudge, you don't let it go when you feel someone's insulted or wronged you. I hope you won't hold a grudge against me for bringing it up. Grudge comes from the now dead Middle English word "grutch," which meant "to complain or grumble." Someone who bears a grudge might often be grouchy. You can specify a type of grudge: political grudge, personal grudge, etc. You know Grandpa's been holding a grudge against the neighbors for years, but you have to wonder: How long can he hold that shotgun?

Example Sentences

They could end up nursing a grudge that they paid $200 a night for a space that resembles a dingy roadside motel rather than a boutique experience.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

The spat is emerging as a source of frustration in Congo, which already holds a historic grudge with its old colonial ruler.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

The man who shot Abe, Tetsuya Yamagami, said he had held a grudge against the prime minister because of his ties with the Unification Church, which had bankrupted his family.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

So you’d think he might have a grudge.

From Slate • Feb. 13, 2026

Might whoever sent it have a grudge against Julian?

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Related Words

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