begrudge
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to envy or resent the pleasure or good fortune of (someone).
She begrudged her friend the award.
-
to be reluctant to give, grant, or allow.
She did not begrudge the money spent on her children's education.
verb
-
to give, admit, or allow unwillingly or with a bad grace
-
to envy (someone) the possession of (something)
Synonym Usage
See envy.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of begrudge
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English bigrucchen; see be-, grudge
Explanation
To begrudge someone for something is to wish them ill for it or to envy them. Try not to begrudge his getting the promotion over you — he's been at the company longer. An understudy might begrudge the lead her role and even go so far as to put glass in her shoes so she can't perform. An easy way to remember the meaning of this verb is to note the noun grudge lurking inside it. A grudge is ill will that you hold toward someone: to begrudge is to hold that grudge. If you begrudge your friend his happiness because he got the nicer car, your friendship will suffer.
Vocabulary lists containing begrudge
Grade 9, List 6
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Words : January 19 - 25, 2019
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But you didn’t work all these years not to enjoy life, so I’m not going to begrudge you your well-deserved vacations.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 20, 2026
And who could begrudge the two sisters their happily-ever-after?
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025
The cops last night were like, “We don’t begrudge you for saying ‘manifesto.’
From Slate • Jun. 17, 2025
Partnered people begrudge the pressure; single people resent the condescension.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2025
“But it would be churlish to begrudge Basil’s requests. After all, he did recapture our tapestry from Cluny. It was a very daring deed.”
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
