grudge
/ɡrʌdʒ
/noun
A persistent feeling of ill will or resentment resulting from a past insult or injury: I’ve never been one to hold a grudge Miss Ironside seems to have had some grudge against her...
- They intend to interview friends, former colleagues, ex-girlfriends, even former classmates - anyone who may have held a grudge against him.
- He held a grudge against me, and so he made up lies to slander me.
- I tend to hold personal, self-deprecating grudges for a bit.
Synonyms
grievance;
resentment, bitterness, rancour, pique, umbrage, displeasure, dissatisfaction, disgruntlement, bad feelings, hard feelings, ill feelings, ill will, venom, hate, hatred, dislike, aversion, animosity, antipathy, antagonism, enmity, animus
informal a chip on one's shoulder
verb [with object]
1Be resentfully unwilling to give or allow (something): he grudged the work and time that the meeting involved...
- When money ran out, they were the only ones working on their land not grudging their son's indulgence in the newfound joys of matrimony.
- After 83 minutes they had finally given an inch, grudging it to Ireland with all their hearts.
- The only dissenting voice was Henry's son William, who grudged the loss to the estate of a prime field.
Synonyms
begrudge, resent, feel aggrieved/bitter about, be annoyed about, be angry about, be displeased about, be resentful of, mind, object to, take exception to, regret;
give unwillingly, give reluctantly, give resentfully, give stintingly
1.1 [with two objects, usually with negative] Feel resentful that (someone) has achieved (something): I don’t grudge him his moment of triumph...
- Ah well, I don't grudge her that moment of bitter victory.
- Not that I'd really have grudged him a snack, you understand, but I'm rather fond of the little baby frogs and heaven knows they have enough trouble making it into adulthood as it is.
- But while he peppered his press conferences with the odd spell of self-flagellation, claiming he was being selfish, few will grudge him his opportunity.
Synonyms
envy, begrudge, resent, mind;
be jealous of, be envious of, be resentful of
Phrases
bear someone a grudge (also bear a grudge)
Derivatives
grudger
Origin
Late Middle English: variant of obsolete grutch 'complain, murmur, grumble', from Old French grouchier, of unknown origin. Compare with grouch.
grouch from late 19th century:
The words grouch and grudge (Late Middle English) are variants of obsolete grutch, from Old French grouchier ‘to grumble, murmur’, of unknown origin. Early 19th-century grouse may be related.