family tension
Relatives at odds
Family tension is the strain or conflict that exists between relatives, whether simmering beneath the surface or openly expressed.
It encompasses everything from minor disagreements to deep-seated resentments that span generations.
Holiday gatherings are notorious for bringing family tension to the surface: There's always family tension when my uncle starts talking politics.
The phrase acknowledges that closeness breeds friction—the people we're bound to are often the ones who most get under our skin.
- conflictOpposition between parties
- argumentReasoned case or dispute
- resentmentPersistent bitter displeasure
- dysfunctionAbnormal or unhealthy operation
- estrangementEmotional separation between people
black sheep · bickering · grudge · silent treatment · cold shoulder · holidays · holiday gathering · dinner table · elephant in the room · inheritance · divorce · siblings · taking sides · in-laws · secrets · old wounds · guilt · blame
- tensiontautness, tightness, strain, stiffness, rigidity
- adolescencepuberty, teenager, coming-of-age, growing up, teen
- agingaging process, aging body, biological age, aging workforce, aging parents
- midlifemidlife crisis, empty nest, empty nester, forties, fifties
- divorcedivorce court, divorce decree, divorce papers, divorce filing, divorce lawyer
family tensionfamily harmony
Peaceful coexistence among relatives
family unity · domestic bliss · domestic harmony · happy home
family tensionfamily bonding
Relatives deepening their connection
family unity · familial love · family support · unconditional acceptance · mutual respect
family, families, familiar, familiarly, familiarity, unfamiliar, familial, familiarize, familiarization