How to say "grudge" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 恨みうらみnounThe noun for a grudge in the ordinary emotional sense: resentment or bitterness held against someone who has wronged you. Use it when speaking of bearing or holding a grudge against a person.
- 惜しむおしむgodan verb, transitive verbA verb, not a noun: it matches 'to grudge' in the sense of being unwilling to spend or give something, being sparing or frugal with it. It has nothing to do with resenting a person.
- 遺恨いこんnounA noun for a grudge that lingers: ill will or enmity that persists between people after a quarrel, dispute, or conflict has ended. Choose it to stress that the bad feeling remains.
- 渋るしぶるgodan verb, transitive verbA verb meaning to hesitate or be reluctant to do something; its 'to grudge' sense is this same balking or unwillingness. For a grudge held against a person, it is seldom the word you want.
- 仇あだnounResentment shading into enmity: a deep, hostile grudge against someone who has wronged you. It reads as stronger and more adversarial than 恨み, suggesting open hostility toward an adversary.
Use 「恨み」 for an ordinary grudge or resentment, 遺恨 for lingering ill will after a conflict, 仇 for deep enmity, and 「惜しむ」 or 「渋る」 only for the verb sense of begrudging or being reluctant.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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