nurse a grudge

Idioms

Bear resentment for a long time, as in We don't know why Karl looks so angry; I think he's nursing a grudge against the family. This expression uses nurse in the sense of “foster a feeling,” a usage dating from the mid-1700s.

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:

nurse a grudge

Everyone knows what it’s like to nurse a grudge; sensible people know how to get over one.

From Washington Post ● May 24, 2022

But Ms. Franklin’s willingness to nurse a grudge or prolong a feud wasn’t a flaw.

From New York Times ● Aug. 20, 2021

Meanwhile, Ulrich continued to nurse a grudge against his former doctor.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 10, 2021

My ability to really hold and nurse a grudge has declined.

From Slate ● Mar. 19, 2018

Manuel not being one to nurse a grudge after he'd licked a man in jig time, and being of a sunny nature anyway, I judge, met him halfway.

From Ma Pettengill by Harry Leon Wilson

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023