Meaning & use
begrudging
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Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Done or given unwillingly, with a sense of resentment, as if the person would rather not have to do it.
Grammar: Usually before a noun: begrudging respect. It can be graded with more or very.
Patterns
- begrudging respect
- a begrudging admission
He gave a begrudging nod of thanks and walked away.
She paid the fee with begrudging acceptance.
The coach showed begrudging respect for the rival team.
Word forms
| comparative | more begrudging |
|---|---|
| superlative | most begrudging |
Common combinations
- begrudging respect
- The critic felt begrudging respect for the young director.
- begrudging admiration
- They watched with begrudging admiration as she finished first.
- begrudging acceptance
- After weeks of complaints came begrudging acceptance of the new rule.
- begrudging approval
- He gave his begrudging approval to the plan.
- a begrudging smile
- A begrudging smile crossed his face despite himself.
Synonyms and how they differ
- grudging
- Grudging is the more common word and means almost the same, though begrudging is slightly more emphatic about resentment.
- reluctant
- Reluctant simply means unwilling, while begrudging adds a bitter or resentful tone.
- unwilling
- Unwilling can be a flat refusal, while begrudging describes someone who does it anyway but unhappily.
- resentful
- Resentful describes the angry feeling itself, while begrudging describes an action done despite that feeling.
Opposites
Word family
- begrudge verb
- to give or allow something unwillingly, or to envy someone for it
- begrudgingly adverb
- in an unwilling, resentful way
- grudge noun
- a lasting feeling of resentment
- grudging adjective
- given reluctantly
Commonly confused: begrudging or begrudgingly?
begrudging vs begrudgingly
Begrudgingly is the adverb that describes how something is done, while begrudging is the adjective that describes a noun.
Practice
After losing the game, Tom gave his rival a ___ handshake.
Choose one answer.
Begrudging fits because Tom is unhappy but still does the polite thing. The other adjectives describe sincere, eager gestures that do not fit his mood.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “begrudging”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.