grudge

1 of 2

verb

ˈgrəj 

grudged; grudging

transitive verb

: to be unwilling to give or admit : give or allow reluctantly or resentfully

I don't grudge paying my share.

grudger noun

grudge

2 of 2

noun

: a feeling of deep-seated resentment or ill will

held no grudge against those who mistreated him

Synonyms of grudge

Noun

• resentment
• grievance

Choose the Right Synonym for grudge

malice, malevolence, ill will, spite, malignity, spleen, grudge mean the desire to see another experience pain, injury, or distress.

malice implies a deep-seated often unexplainable desire to see another suffer.

felt no malice toward their former enemies

malevolence suggests a bitter persistent hatred that is likely to be expressed in malicious conduct.

a look of dark malevolence

ill will implies a feeling of antipathy of limited duration.

ill will provoked by a careless remark

spite implies petty feelings of envy and resentment that are often expressed in small harassments.

petty insults inspired by spite

malignity implies deep passion and relentlessness.

a life consumed by motiveless malignity

spleen suggests the wrathful release of latent spite or persistent malice.

venting his spleen against politicians

grudge implies a harbored feeling of resentment or ill will that seeks satisfaction.

never one to harbor a grudge

Examples of grudge in a Sentence

Verb

I don't grudge paying my share.

I don't grudge her the opportunities she has been given.

Noun

She still has a grudge against him for the way he treated her in school.

He has nursed a grudge against his former boss for years.

I don't bear him any grudges.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

That said, the blockade is still doing a lot of damage to Iran, so even if sanctions don't have Chinese cooperation, however grudging that may be, there will still be an impact. — Arezou Rezvani, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026

Utah politicians felt very slighted and upset by the designation and nursed that grudge along for 20 years. — Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 16 July 2026

Noun

Most self-help books say anger and grudges are self-defeating — there’s that line everybody uses that holding a grudge is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. — Lane Brown, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026

The gesture sets off a chain reaction, as a parade of strangers begins scribbling their own complaints, anxieties and grudges across the same tiles. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English grucchen, grudgen to grumble, complain, from Anglo-French grucer, grucher, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle High German grogezen to howl

Noun

derivative of grudge entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1500, in the meaning defined above

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing grudge

• grudge match

Rhymes for grudge

• budge
• drudge
• frage
• fudge
• judge
• mudge
• nudge
• rudge
• sludge
• smudge
• trudge
• adjudge

Kids Definition

grudge

1 of 2 verb

ˈgrəj 

grudged; grudging

: begrudge

grudger noun

grudgingly

-iŋ-lē

adverb

grudge

2 of 2 noun

: a strong lasting feeling of resentment toward someone for a real or imagined wrong