grudging
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of grudging
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English; see grudge, -ing 2
Explanation
If you do something in a grudging manner (or grudgingly), you do it with reluctance. Doing homework, paying taxes, and saying sorry are all commonly done in a grudging manner. "Grudging apology" and "grudging acceptance" are probably the two most common uses of this word, which perhaps says something about our lack of grace as a species. The word derives from the medieval French word groucher, meaning "to murmur or mumble." A related word is grudge, meaning a long-lasting sense of ill will dating to a previous incident.
Vocabulary lists containing grudging
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Animal Farm
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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.
The author cites Roosevelt’s critics prominently, and his own approval is grudging and qualified.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025
I don’t know if the government’s grudging confession of error played a role in the full court’s decision.
From Slate • Oct. 31, 2025
But there was a sense, a grudging willingness among these Labour voters to give Sir Keir and the government more time.
From BBC • Jul. 5, 2025
Soriano said Becerra Moran was among the park regulars who expressed a grudging acceptance of law enforcement.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2025
Every mouthful of food was an acute positive pleasure, now that it was truly their own food, produced by themselves and for themselves, not doled out to them by a grudging master.
From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell
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.
