grudge

grudge — noun

1. a persistent bitterness toward someone whom you believe has wronged or treated y

1.nounB2
Definition

a persistent bitterness toward someone whom you believe has wronged or treated you unfairly, often lasting long after the original event

Example

Meera still bears a grudge against Caleb for lying about their shared business loan.

bear a grudge against [someone] + for [reason]

Sade held a grudge against her neighbour for years after the property line dispute.

Common collocations
  • bear a grudge
  • hold a grudge
  • nurse a grudge
  • old grudge
  • personal grudge
Synonyms
  • resentment

    broader and less idiomatic; can be felt without a specific past event

  • animosity

    stronger and more active, often involving open hostility

  • spite

    implies a small-minded desire to hurt the other person

Antonyms
  • forgiveness

    the act of letting go of resentment

  • goodwill

    a positive, generous attitude toward others

Grammar Patterns

bear/hold a grudge (against someone)

nurse a grudge

Usage Note

Typically used in the fixed expressions 'bear a grudge' or 'hold a grudge.' The preposition 'against' introduces the person toward whom the grudge is directed.

Common Mistakes

I have grudge against my classmate.
I have a grudge against my classmate.
'grudge' is a countable noun and needs a determiner.
She kept a grudge on her brother.
She held a grudge against her brother.
Use 'against', not 'on' or 'toward', after 'grudge'.
Idioms

bear/hold a grudge

idiom

to continue feeling angry and hurt toward someone because of something they did in the past, often making it hard to forgive them or move on

The old fisherman still bore a grudge against the shipping company that had dumped waste near his favourite fishing spot.

My grandmother holds a grudge against anyone who interrupts her afternoon tea without apologising.

grudge — verb

Word family

  • grudging
    adjectiveC1
  • grudgingly
    adverbC1
  • begrudge
    verbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words describe negative feelings toward someone, but 'grudge' is uniquely tied to a specific past wrong and implies the feeling lasts a long time. 'Resentment' is broader — you can resent a situation, not just a person, and it does not necessarily linger for years. 'Animosity' is stronger and more active, often involving open hostility or a desire to fight. 'Spite' describes a smaller, mean-spirited desire to annoy or hurt someone, usually over a minor issue. For example, you might hold a grudge against a former business partner for years, feel resentment toward an unfair rule, show animosity by refusing to speak to someone, or act out of spite by hiding their coffee mug.

resentment ↗animosityspite ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • bear a grudge
  • hold a grudge against
  • nurse a grudge

Prepositions

Etymology

Old FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'grudge' comes from Old French 'grouchier', meaning to murmur or complain. It entered Middle English as 'grucchen' with the same complain-related meaning. Over time, the focus shifted from the act of complaining to the lasting bad feeling that lies behind the complaint. By the 17th century, 'grudge' was firmly established as both a noun (a persistent ill feeling) and a verb (to give or allow unwillingly, or to resent someone else's good fortune).