grudge

/grədʒ/
/grədʒ/
IPA guide

Other forms: grudging; grudged; grudges

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?

Definitions of grudge
  1. noun
    a resentment strong enough to justify retaliation
    “holding a grudge”
    synonyms: grievance, score
    see moresee less
    type of:
    bitterness, gall, rancor, rancour, resentment
    a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
  2. verb
    bear a grudge; harbor ill feelings
    synonyms: stew
    see moresee less
    type of:
    resent
    feel bitter or indignant about
  3. verb
    accept or admit unwillingly
Pronunciation
US
/grədʒ/
UK
/grədʒ/
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘grudge'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of gold-punch.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family

Vocabulary lists containing grudge

"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act I

Here are links to our lists for the play: Act I, Act II, Act III, Act IV, Act V Here are links to other plays by William Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest, Hamlet, King Lear, Julius Caesar, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, Measure for Measure, Othello, A Midsummer Night's Dream

This Week in Words: April 1 - 6, 2018

No time to scour the headlines or watch the news? No problem! We’ve rounded up the top words heard, read, debated, and discussed this week. This week proved that Isaac Newton's Third Law of Motion (for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction) applies to everyday life. China slapped tariffs on U.S. pork, fruit and other exports to retaliate against tariffs the U.S. recently imposed on Chinese goods. Experts fear this could expedite a trade war between the two countries. In what some see as a reaction to the unfavorable opinions held by many judges on Trump's immigration policy, the Justice Department set new quotas for immigration judges to meet. Are these unprecedented quotas a sign that the administration holds a grudge, or just a natural response as dictated by Newton's law? Take a look back at the week that was, vocabulary style.

Beowulf vocabulary

Vocabulary from "Beowulf" (translated by by Gummere).

MORE VOCABULARY LISTS