grudging

American  

[gruhj-ing] / ˈgrʌdʒ ɪŋ /

adjective

1. displaying or reflecting reluctance or unwillingness.

   grudging acceptance of the victory of an opponent.

---

Other Word Forms

• grudgingly adverb

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.

Example Sentences

My entry into the world of wearable fitness, as with much new technology, was grudging, fitful and ultimately all consuming.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

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

His Daily News relentlessly covered the issues around the police beating of Rodney King and the Rampart police corruption scandal, winning sometimes grudging admiration from The Times.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 19, 2024

The next day the Husky crews performed a time-honored Poughkeepsie ritual and visited each of their rivals’ shell houses to pay grudging respect to their competitors before taking to the river.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Related Words

• afraid
• averse
• cautious
• circumspect
• hesitant
• loath
• shy
• slow
• squeamish
• uncertain
• wary