nurse a grudge (against one)
To harbor persistent and continual resentment or ill feelings toward one, especially for some slight or wrongdoing one committed in the past. Johnny has been nursing a grudge against me since we were 12 because I embarrassed him in front of a girl he liked. Samantha is just so forgiving—I don't think she's ever nursed a grudge in her life!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
nurse a grudge (against someone)
Fig. to keep resenting and disliking someone over a period of time. (Usually implies that it has been an unreasonably long time.) Sally is still nursing a grudge against Mary. How long can anyone nurse a grudge?
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
nurse a grudge
Bear resentment for a long time, as in We don't know why Karl looks so angry; I think he's nursing a grudge against the family. This expression uses nurse in the sense of "foster a feeling," a usage dating from the mid-1700s.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.