feud
feud Lexical Profile
feud Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A prolonged and bitter quarrel, dispute, or state of hostility, especially between two families, clans, or rival groups.
"The decades-long feud between the two neighboring families finally ended when their grandchildren became close friends."
Under the medieval feudal system, an estate of land held by a vassal from a lord on condition of homage and military or other service.
"The baron was granted a vast feud in the northern province in exchange for supplying knights to the king."
• verb
To take part in a prolonged and bitter quarrel or dispute.
"The two rival authors feuded publicly in literary magazines for more than a decade."
Word Nuance & Usage
The adjective 'feudal' relates solely to the medieval land-holding sense of 'feud' (fief), rather than to a prolonged quarrel or vendetta.
• Rhymes for feud
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Sense 1 (prolonged quarrel) comes from Middle English 'fede', borrowed from Old French 'faide', of Germanic origin and cognate with Old English 'fæhþ' (enmity). Sense 2 (feudal estate) is an unrelated homonym from Medieval Latin 'feudum', also of Germanic origin (related to 'fee').