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.
Whether during the pandemic, or during the years of Brexit screaming matches, she was feared by some other politicians, and grudgingly admired by many more.
From BBC ● May 31, 2026
Japan and India both historically have maintained cordial relations with Iran, although they grudgingly complied with US sanctions aimed at stopping all other countries from buying Iranian oil.
From Barron's ● May 26, 2026
I gradually, maybe grudgingly, began to see the appeal of romantic fiction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026
But there’s still one goal left, albeit one he talks about only grudgingly.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2025
He grudgingly agrees, and I’m alone again with my blank reply screen.
From "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
