Which trait describes someone who holds strong grudges?

A trait that fundamentally characterizes someone who holds strong grudges is being spiteful. This quality involves a desire to harm, annoy, or hurt someone, often driven by feelings of resentment or anger from past grievances. Spiteful individuals tend to dwell on negative experiences and may seek to retaliate against those they feel have wronged them, resulting in a prolonged emotional state that fosters grudges.

In contrast, traits such as altruistic, sympathetic, and empathetic suggest qualities of kindness, compassion, and understanding towards others, which typically do not align with holding grudges. Altruistic individuals prioritize the welfare of others, sympathetic individuals feel pity or sorrow for someone's misfortune, and empathetic individuals are capable of understanding and sharing the feelings of others. These characteristics usually promote forgiveness and moving past conflicts, rather than fostering lingering resentment.