begrudgingly
Americanadverb
-
with or despite feelings of resentment or envy.
With virtually no advertising, he is swamped with work—a fact I begrudgingly admit because he's too busy to take me anywhere!
-
reluctantly; unwillingly.
I've eaten calf liver begrudgingly, but ultimately I don't like sitting down to a big slab of organ meat.
Etymology
Origin of begrudgingly
Compare meaning
How does begrudgingly compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
When you do something even though you really don't want to, you do it begrudgingly. If you hate to admit that your brother's cookies came out better than yours, you'll only do it begrudgingly. To act begrudgingly is to begrudge, a word that's rooted in the Middle English grucchen, "to find fault with or be angry." So when you find yourself grumbling about something (but doing it anyway), you're doing it begrudgingly. If you dislike asparagus, you're only going to eat it begrudgingly, and if you're bitterly jealous of your friend's award, you'll applaud her win begrudgingly.
Vocabulary lists containing begrudgingly
One Crazy Summer
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"First Love Language" by Stefany Valentine, Broken Hearts and Broken Homes–A Different Love Language
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Kwame Crashes the Underworld
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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.
Inevitably, I’ll finish my Red Vines before the movie has even started and then Alison will begrudgingly allow me to have a few handfuls of her popcorn, but she is not happy about it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
The star had previously told fans they were "never gonna go on streaming", but said she had "begrudgingly" changed her mind after fans clamoured to hear them.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Mallory Carrell, a 21-year-old from central Texas living in Germany for the summer, is begrudgingly following the guidance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Most people are begrudgingly getting through today so they can eventually arrive at the life they actually want.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 5, 2026
There wasn’t much in it—two apples, a dented water gourd, and the small purse of copper shabas Baaz had begrudgingly given as a “stipend” for her venture—but she pulled the bag closer.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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.
