Meaning & use
begrudge
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitive
To feel resentful that someone has or enjoys something good.
Grammar: Takes one or two objects: begrudge him his success, or begrudge someone something; mostly used in negatives.
Patterns
- begrudge someone something
- begrudge someone's success
I don't begrudge her the promotion; she worked hard for it.
Nobody begrudged him a few days off after the long project.
Don't begrudge your brother his new bike.
verbtransitive
To give or spend something unwillingly, wishing you did not have to.
Grammar: Takes an object or an -ing form: he begrudged paying the fee.
Patterns
- begrudge doing something
- begrudge the money
She begrudged every dollar spent on repairs.
He begrudged spending his weekend at the office.
Don't begrudge the time you give to your children.
Word forms
| third person singular | begrudges |
|---|---|
| past tense | begrudged |
| past participle | begrudged |
| -ing form | begrudging |
Common combinations
- don't begrudge
- I don't begrudge them their holiday.
- begrudge someone success
- It's petty to begrudge a friend success.
- begrudge the cost
- No one begrudged the cost of the new roof.
- begrudge every penny
- The landlord begrudged every penny spent on repairs.
- begrudge the time
- He never begrudged the time he spent coaching.
Synonyms and how they differ
- resent
- Resent expresses stronger bitterness about something you feel is unfair, while begrudge often means minor envy or reluctance.
- envy
- Envy means wanting what another person has, while begrudge means you resent them having it.
- grudge
- Grudge as a verb is the older form of begrudge and is used mainly with giving (grudge the money).
- mind
- Mind is more casual and often used in questions, such as 'Do you mind?'.
Opposites
Word family
- grudge noun
- a feeling of resentment that lasts a long time
- begrudging adjective
- unwilling, as in begrudging respect
- begrudgingly adverb
- in an unwilling way
- grudging adjective
- given reluctantly
Commonly confused: begrudge or grudge?
begrudge vs grudge
A grudge is a noun for lasting resentment, while begrudge is the verb for resenting someone's good fortune or giving reluctantly.
Practice
Nobody ______ him his holiday after such a hard year.
Choose one answer.
The sentence is in the simple past, so begrudged is needed. Begrudging is an adjective or -ing form and begrudges is present tense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “begrudge”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.