feud
Loading your saved state.
feud
A long-lasting and bitter personal dispute or conflict between two people or groups.
Zwischen den beiden Politikern herrscht seit Jahren eine öffentliche Fehde.
There has been a public feud between the two politicians for years.
The word 'Fehde' (feud) belongs more to elevated written language, or is used to describe a conflict as especially drawn-out and serious. In everyday conversation, it is rather unusual for a normal argument.
Die Presse berichtete ausführlich über die Fehde der beiden Konzerne.
The press reported extensively on the feud between the two corporations.
In the modern sense, 'Fehde' (feud) is often used with verbs such as 'führen' (to conduct/wage), 'austragen' (to carry out/fight out), or 'beilegen' (to settle). People speak of a feud 'zwischen' (between) two parties or 'mit' (with) a person.
Die beiden Familien führen seit Generationen eine erbitterte Fehde.
The two families have been waging a bitter feud for generations.
You can recognize the historical meaning from signal words such as 'Mittelalter' (Middle Ages), 'Adlige' (nobles), 'Familienclans' (family clans), or 'Blutrache' (blood revenge). In this context, it describes a private war according to old rules.
In der Ausstellung lernten wir viel über die Fehden im mittelalterlichen Deutschland.
In the exhibition, we learned a lot about feuds in medieval Germany.
war
'der Krieg' and 'die Fehde' can both describe a long and harsh conflict. 'Krieg' is the general word for an armed conflict between states, peoples, or organized groups. Colloquially, it can also mean a very fierce dispute. 'Fehde' is more suitable for a personal or family dispute that lasts a long time and is very bitter. Historically, 'Fehde' can also mean a violent private conflict. The words can be confused because both sound strong. For real armed conflicts between states, however, you normally use 'Krieg'; for a long-standing personal rivalry, 'Fehde' is more appropriate.
Die Fehde zwischen den zwei Familien begann mit einem alten Streit um Land.
The feud between the two families began with an old dispute over land.
Im Geschichtsunterricht sprechen wir heute über den Krieg zwischen den beiden Ländern.
In history class today, we are talking about the war between the two countries.