Interactions - Enmity

Explore English idioms regarding enmity with examples like "duke it out" and "have a bone to pick with".

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to [hold|bear|have] a grudge [phrase]

to hold negative feelings toward a person who has done one wrong in the past

Ex: Having a grudge against her former best friend , she found it hard to trust new people in her life .

to [have] it in for {sb} [phrase]

to deliberately keep causing problems for someone or criticizing them

Ex: It 's clear that the coach has it in for Tom because he keeps benching him for no apparent reason .

chip on {one's} shoulder [phrase]

an attitude that shows one is angry or resentful because of an unfair behavior that they have experienced

Ex: The new employee joined the team without a chip on their shoulder , making it easier to adapt to the workplace culture .

bad blood [noun]

a strong feeling of bitterness or hatred toward someone because of a past dispute or disagreement

Ex: The family reunion was awkward due to the bad blood between two estranged siblings .

to [get|start] off on the wrong foot [phrase]

to have an unsuccessful or unpleasant beginning in a relationship or activity

Ex: They started off on the wrong foot but later became friends .

to [give] {sb} the bird [phrase]

to intentionally and rudely display an offensive hand gesture, involving raising the middle finger while extending the others downward, as a sign of strong disapproval, annoyance, or disrespect toward someone

Ex: Instead of arguing with his neighbor , he simply gave him the bird and walked away to avoid further confrontation .

to [hate] {one's} guts [phrase]

to hate someone to an extreme degree

Ex:

to [have] a bone to pick with {sb} [phrase]

to have a problem with someone or be annoyed with them and want to tell them all about it

Ex:

to [put|stick] the knife (in|into) {sb} [phrase]

to emotionally harm someone through a significant act of betrayal or hurtful actions

Ex: The tabloids are known for putting the knife into celebrities , often reporting scandalous stories to damage their public image .

to [clear] the air [phrase]

to have an open conversation with someone to resolve the negative feelings with them that are caused by disagreements or misunderstandings

Ex: In the office , the manager called a staff meeting to clear the air and address any concerns or grievances .

to [bury] the hatchet [phrase]

to build a good relationship with each other again after having disagreements about something

Ex: The celebrity couple announced that they had buried the hatchet and were committed to making their marriage work after a publicized separation .

to [duke] it out [phrase]

to argue or fight until a disagreement is resolved

Ex: Instead of letting their differences fester , the coworkers decided to duke it out in a constructive discussion to find common ground .

Interactions
Help & Support	Aid & Assistance	Praise & Good Treatment	Mistreatment & Misconduct
Gratitude & Ingratitude	Sympathy	Enmity	Retaliation
Taking Advantage	Betrayal	Abuse & Manipulation	Jokes & Pranks
Mockery & Ridicule