nurse a grudge

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!
See also: grudge, nurse
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

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?
See also: grudge, nurse
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

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.
See also: grudge, nurse
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
See also:
  • 1FTR
  • drive (one) out of office
  • force (one) out of office
  • force out of office
  • give (one) (one's) head
  • give head
  • give somebody their head
  • give someone their head
  • cooking for one
  • as one door closes, another (one) opens
References in periodicals archive
Former CM Keshubhai Patel has been mobilising the powerful Patels, who nurse a grudge against Modi for sidelining him.
"We were looking at the messages and while there were no direct threats, the language was abusive and derogatory and seemed to be getting worse." Tennant, the Times points out, "filed a lawsuit in 1998 disputing a denial of disability insurance benefits and Supplemental Security income." That denial was upheld after a two-year court battle, but Tennant continued to nurse a grudge against what he perceived as a deadbeat federal agency.