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

Compare meaning

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

• grudgingly vs. begrudgingly

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

That team became the lordly Yankees, an “aesthetically evil” and “universally despised dynasty” that, nonetheless, Mr. Gittlitz grudgingly admits, has a lot of working-class fans.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

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

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2026

That could mean the biggest AI stocks won’t be afforded the luxury of patience that investors have grudgingly provided.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

Even at the most selective schools, it’s common for only half the student body to make a purchase—a participation rate Jack O’Connor grudgingly accepted as part of the model.

From Slate • May 27, 2025

He usually stayed a few steps ahead of Collins and the others, wanting to go faster but grudgingly slowing up to announce his moves or to receive his teacher’s reply.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

• carefully
• cautiously
• hesitantly
• unwillingly
• warily