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What does��grudge mean?

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.