grudgingly

American  

[gruhj-ing-lee] / ˈgrʌdʒ ɪŋ li /

adverb

1. reluctantly or unwillingly; not generously or with a good will.

   He tried to evade the work and the responsibility until the very last moment and then grudgingly, finally, exasperatingly did his job.

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Etymology

Origin of grudgingly

grudging ( def. ) + -ly

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Compare meaning

How does grudgingly compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• grudgingly vs. begrudgingly

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Explanation

If you do something grudgingly, you're not exactly whistling while you work — you're resentful and annoyed and only doing it, probably, because you have to. A grudge is a lingering resentment against someone, something you can't quite forgive. When you behave grudgingly, you're acting as if you're remembering some past slight or insult. If the guy behind the counter in the deli glares at you and hands you your sandwich grudgingly, you might wonder what you did to make him so grouchy and mad at you.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

grudgingly

He grudgingly showed up for his twice-monthly guard shifts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026

Japan and India both historically have maintained cordial relations with Iran, although they grudgingly complied with US sanctions aimed at stopping all other countries from buying Iranian oil.

From Barron's ● May 26, 2026

Over the years, MPs have generally abided by that approach - sometimes grudgingly.

From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2026

Ms. King grudgingly allowed production to proceed but swore “that she would never attend a performance, and would not promote the show, or be involved in any fashion. Never, ever.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2025

Christopher had, grudgingly, learned a small amount of Latin at school, and he had a feeling that malum meant something else entirely.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

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Related Words

• begrudgingly
• reluctantly
• unwillingly

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