feud

1 of 2

noun (1)

Synonyms of feudnext
: a mutual enmity or quarrel that is often prolonged or inveterate (see inveterate sense 2)
especially : blood feud
Because of a family feud, they did not see each other for a decade.
feud intransitive verb

feud

2 of 2

noun (2)

Examples of feud in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
That effort triggered its escalating feud with Anthropic PBC, which sought guardrails on using its technology for domestic surveillance and in fully autonomous weapons. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026 Noem lost her job because of Minnesota, a pricey DHS ad campaign, and her feuds with the heads of Customs and Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement — not because of the shutdown — according to a person familiar with the DHS negotiation. Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 10 Mar. 2026 But since the feud began, Pentagon officials have said Elon Musk's xAI and OpenAI's ChatGPT have now been cleared for use in classified systems. Bobby Allyn, NPR, 9 Mar. 2026 Emil Michael, the department’s under secretary for research and engineering as well as its chief technology officer, detailed the events leading up to the public feud in a Friday episode of the All-In podcast. Jason Ma, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for feud

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

alteration of Middle English feide, from Anglo-French *faide, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German fēhida hostility, feud, Old English fāh hostile — more at foe

Noun (2)

Medieval Latin feodum, feudum, alteration (probably influenced by Medieval Latin alodum, allodium land not subject to rent or service) of feo, feus, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German fihu cattle — more at fee

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1614, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of feud was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Feud.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feud. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

feud

noun
ˈfyüd
: a long lasting quarrel
especially : a lasting conflict between families or clans usually having acts of violence and revenge
feud verb

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