death-feud

A family refuses to speak to their neighbors due to a generations-old death-feud.

Definition

Noun: A death-feud is a prolonged and bitter conflict between families, clans, or groups, typically involving a cycle of retaliatory killings or acts of vengeance that often continue until one side is annihilated. It implies a feud that is deadly and relentless, often passed down through generations.

Usage Examples

• (A prolonged, deadly conflict between families.)
• (A cycle of violent retribution between groups.)

Advanced Usage

• "to escalate into a death-feud": to develop from a minor disagreement into a lethal, ongoing conflict.
  • What began as a land dispute quickly escalated into a death-feud, claiming several lives. (The conflict became deadly and prolonged.)

Variants and Related Words

• Feud (n): a state of prolonged mutual hostility, typically between families or clans, that may involve violence but is not necessarily deadly.
  • The feud between the neighbors lasted for years over a fence line. (A long-standing quarrel.)
• Blood feud (n): a synonym for death-feud, emphasizing the killing of relatives as part of the cycle.
  • The blood feud between the two tribes has lasted for centuries. (A deadly, hereditary conflict.)

Synonyms

• Vendetta: a prolonged blood feud, often motivated by a desire for revenge.
• Blood feud: a feud involving murder and retaliation.
• Deadly quarrel: a conflict that results in fatalities.

Related Idioms

• "Feud of the knife": a metaphorical expression for a deadly, close-quarters conflict.
  • Their rivalry was a feud of the knife, not of words. (A lethal, personal conflict.)
• "To bury the hatchet": to end a feud or conflict (often used in contrast to a death-feud).
  • After years of a death-feud, the families finally decided to bury the hatchet. (To make peace.)