grudgingly
Americanadverb
Etymology
Origin of grudgingly
Compare meaning
How does grudgingly compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
Vocabulary lists containing grudgingly
A Long Walk to Water
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Bridge to Terabithia
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Night
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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.
I gradually, maybe grudgingly, began to see the appeal of romantic fiction.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 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
Anyone who mocked her viral rendition of “Imagine” at the start of the pandemic will have to grudgingly concede that she at least keeps up.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2025
After Jack’s Hail Mary pass—or “Hail Molly,” as he called it—Dina grudgingly agreed to give her another chance.
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
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.
