grudge
Americannoun
adjective
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
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a persistent feeling of resentment, esp one due to some cause, such as an insult or injury
-
(modifier) planned or carried out in order to settle a grudge
a grudge fight
verb
-
(tr) to give or allow unwillingly
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to feel resentful or envious about (someone else's success, possessions, etc)
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”
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.
Nor are the cleric’s grudges driving the system.
If he can channel that grudge match attitude in Seattle, they stand a real chance to regain the upper hand.
From Seattle Times
Farmworkers in Northern California, sprayed with bullets over a workplace grudge.
From Seattle Times
The two lightweights aren’t even fighting for a title or a fringe belt — making it a true grudge match.
From Washington Times
But DeSantis is motivated by a very personal obsession, and he's using his electoral office to prosecute a grudge match.
From Salon
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.
