blood feud: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal / Literary / Journalistic
Quick answer
What does “blood feud” mean?
A prolonged, violent conflict between families, clans, or kinship groups, typically involving cycles of revenge killings for a past injury or murder.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A prolonged, violent conflict between families, clans, or kinship groups, typically involving cycles of revenge killings for a past injury or murder.
Any bitter, long-standing, and often violent dispute between rival groups, organizations, or even individuals, characterized by mutual hostility and acts of reprisal. Can be used metaphorically in contexts like business or politics.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. The term 'vendetta' (of Italian origin) is a close synonym and may be slightly more common in some American contexts, but 'blood feud' is standard in both varieties.
Connotations
Both varieties associate it with historical clan conflicts (e.g., Scottish Highlands, Appalachian Mountains, Corsica, Balkans), mafia wars, and archaic justice systems.
Frequency
Comparatively low frequency in both, but appears in historical, anthropological, and crime reporting. Equally understood.
Grammar
How to Use “blood feud” in a Sentence
[Family A] is locked in a blood feud with [Family B].The blood feud between [X] and [Y] dates back to [event/time].The murder sparked a bitter blood feud.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “blood feud” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The two families have been blood-feuding for generations.
- They are condemned to blood-feud.
American English
- The gangs blood-feuded for control of the territory.
- To blood-feud is to invite endless violence.
adverb
British English
- (Not standard; very rare and awkward. Concept expressed by phrases like 'in a feud-like manner').
American English
- (Not standard; very rare and awkward).
adjective
British English
- The blood-feud mentality made reconciliation impossible.
- He was a casualty of blood-feud politics.
American English
- The blood-feud dynamics paralyzed the community.
- A blood-feud narrative drove the plot.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Metaphorical: 'The hostile takeover attempt ignited a corporate blood feud between the two founding families.'
Academic
Used in history, anthropology, sociology, and criminology to describe traditional systems of justice and inter-group conflict. 'The study examines the social structures that perpetuate blood feuds in tribal societies.'
Everyday
Rare in casual conversation. Might be used hyperbolically: 'Our families have a blood feud over who makes the best potato salad at Thanksgiving.'
Technical
In legal/conflict studies: 'Blood feuds represent a non-state, kinship-based form of conflict resolution and social control.'
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “blood feud”
- Using it to describe a short-term argument. *'We had a blood feud over who used the last of the milk.' (Incorrect) / 'We had a silly disagreement...' (Correct).
- Misspelling as 'bloodfeud' (should be two words or hyphenated: blood-feud).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A 'feud' is a prolonged quarrel or state of hostility. A 'blood feud' is a specific, more intense type of feud involving cycles of killing and revenge between kinship groups, where violence is an expected part of the conflict.
No, it is a low-frequency term. It is primarily used in specific contexts like historical writing, crime reporting, anthropology, and literature. It is not part of everyday casual vocabulary.
Yes, it can be used metaphorically in contexts like business, politics, or sports to describe an extremely bitter and long-lasting rivalry, but this usage is still relatively formal and dramatic.
'Vendetta' is a very close synonym, originating from Italian, and carries the same core idea of a prolonged quest for revenge, often between families or groups.
A prolonged, violent conflict between families, clans, or kinship groups, typically involving cycles of revenge killings for a past injury or murder.
Blood feud is usually formal / literary / journalistic in register.
Blood feud: in British English it is pronounced /ˈblʌd ˌfjuːd/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈblʌd ˌfjuːd/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Bad blood (related but less intense)”
- “An eye for an eye (principle behind a blood feud)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'blood' as literal bloodshed and 'feud' as a fight. A BLOOD FEUD is a fight so serious it spills BLOOD across generations.
Conceptual Metaphor
CONFLICT IS A DISEASE / INHERITANCE ('The feud ran in their blood.'), JUSTICE IS A CYCLE ('The cycle of revenge continued.')
Practice
Quiz
In which context would the term 'blood feud' be LEAST appropriate?