grudge

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.

The first records of the word grudge come from the 1400s. It comes from the Old French grouchier, which means “to grumble” and is also the basis of the word grouch. Grudge is probably related to the Middle High German word grogezen, meaning “to complain, cry out.”

When a person holds a grudge, it’s often due to treatment or an action that’s considered unforgivable by the person holding the grudge. Usually this involves a personal slight (or perceived personal slight), but a person can hold a grudge against someone they don’t even know. A lot of grudges are held for petty reasons, including things that the supposed wrongdoer doesn’t even know that they did. The opposite of holding a grudge can be thought of as forgiving and forgetting (or letting it go).

What are some other forms related to grudge?

• grudging (continuous tense verb, adjective)
• grudgingly (adverb)

What are some words that share a root or word element with grudge? 

• hold a grudge
• nurse a grudge
• bear a grudge
• begrudge
• grouch

What are some words that often get used in discussing grudge?

• have
• hold
• harbor
• nurse
• bear
• bitter
• resentment
• petty
• spite
• jealousy
• hate
• rival
• past

Grudge is most commonly used as a noun. People hold grudges for all kinds of reasons.

If you still hold a grudge against someone for what they did to you a year prior, grow up. Let it go. Move on past it instead of holding onto it. Be the better person

— ChillCat Tyler (@TylerFurlong86) October 23, 2020

You think you hold a grudge? I still hold a grudge against the Dodgers for leaving Brooklyn and I wasn't even born then.

— Bernie Would Have Won (@KevinPDempsey) October 28, 2020

A picture of me with my grudge list pic.twitter.com/G3MHCqYvMm

— Laura Jane Grace (@LauraJaneGrace) October 22, 2020

Is grudge used correctly in the following sentence?

Instead of grudging their win, you could try congratulating them and moving on.