Groll
/ɡʁɔl/masculine
The German word for 'grudge' is Groll.
Groll refers to a deep-seated animosity or long-lasting resentment. When describing the act of holding onto a grudge, the most natural verb to use is hegen (to harbor or nurture). While Groll focuses on the feeling of resentment itself, the related verb missgönnen describes the specific act of being unwilling to see someone else succeed or enjoy something.
Meaning: deep seated animosity (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As a masculine noun, Groll takes the accusative article den when it functions as the direct object of a sentence, as seen in Er hegt den Groll (He harbors the grudge).
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡʁɔl/
Did you know?
- The verb hegen, used to describe harboring Groll, is also the same verb used for tending to a garden or raising a young animal.
- To express that a grudge has been settled, Germans might speak of 'reinen Tisch machen', which translates to 'making a clean table'.
- The word Groll shares a surprising linguistic ancestor with the English word 'growl'.
Examples in context
- Ich grolle dir nicht.I do not hold a grudge against you.This sentence is useful for showing how to express not holding a grudge against someone using the form Groll.Tatoeba #12718641 by Waldelfe, translation #11887713 by Amastan
- Tom hegt keinen Groll.Tom doesn't hold a grudge.This sentence is useful for showing how to say someone does not hold a grudge using the form Groll.Tatoeba #5320669 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2279406 by CK
- Er hegt einen Groll gegen dich.He has a grudge against you.This sentence is useful for showing how to say someone has a grudge against someone else using the form Groll.Tatoeba #8835044 by wolfgangth, translation #295653 by CK
- Der Politiker hegte einen tiefen Groll gegen seinen Konkurrenten.The politician harbored a deep grudge against his competitor.
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Felix are discussing an old argument between friends.
- HannahHe hat immer noch großen Groll gegen mich.He still holds a great grudge against me.
- FelixDas ist wirklich traurig, Hannah.That is really sad, Hannah.
- HannahIch möchte diesen Groll endlich überwinden.I want to finally overcome this grudge.
- FelixVielleicht hilft ein klärendes Gespräch bei ihm.Maybe a clarifying conversation will help him.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grudge” translations and entries Groll, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Groll, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
