as in careful
said, done, or given in an unwilling or doubtful way
Her theories have begun to win grudging acceptance in the scientific community. He has earned the grudging admiration/respect of his rivals.
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Recent Examples of grudging
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
Set a timeline for seeing real change — not just one grudging appearance, but consistent participation in your social life over the next few months.
—Anna Pulley, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
Bondi, in a memorandum also signed by Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, blended grudging compliance with open disrespect.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Carefully, that’s how, with grudging respect for the curveballs the asteroid can throw you.
—IEEE Spectrum, 14 Oct. 2020
See All Example Sentences for grudging
Adjective
The TenderBoyz hop on a Gulfstream to New York to crash Pierpoint’s annual general meeting and announce their nefarious plan, with Whilimena’s grudging assistance.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
Set a timeline for seeing real change — not just one grudging appearance, but consistent participation in your social life over the next few months.
—Anna Pulley, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
Bondi, in a memorandum also signed by Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, blended grudging compliance with open disrespect.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Carefully, that’s how, with grudging respect for the curveballs the asteroid can throw you.
—IEEE Spectrum, 14 Oct. 2020
See All Example Sentences for grudging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grudging
Adjective
-
The tunnel was built after careful planning and executed with tremendous effort.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
China and Russia are often described as caring deeply about sovereignty and disliking regime change for that reason.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Known for disliking public attention, Souter even forewent a Washington funeral.—
Ella Lee,
The Hill,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
And Villanelle has very begrudging respect for this woman.—
Dan Snierson,
EW.com,
13 Apr. 2020
-
Philadelphia needs its rookie quarterback, Carson Wentz, to post 300 passing yards for a third consecutive week, because there is no running the ball against the Ravens, who have the most begrudging ground defense in the league.—
DAVID WHITE,
New York Times,
16 Dec. 2016
Verb
-
His hard-line immigration policies have proven to be particularly unpopular, with six in 10 residents disapproving of his actions, according to the survey, a stark contrast to the county’s historical stance on the issue.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
-
She’s first shown wearing a skimpy dog costume as she and Nate’s housekeeper, Juana (Minerva Garcia), records until Nate comes home and angrily interrupts, disapproving of Cassie’s side hustle.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This is not just to protect your home from a fire hazard or water damage, but to conserve energy and be more economical as well.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 May 2026
-
The Iron Dome is designed to be an economical way to intercept short-range missiles and drones, a capability the UAE largely lacks.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Moreover, lawmakers are engaged in budget negotiations, where the House is refusing to fund several of DeSantis’ priorities.—
Gray Rohrer,
Sun Sentinel,
15 May 2026
-
Former Representative Elizabeth Holtzman, one of the co-authors, has portrayed the act as a corrective to the moral failure of refusing entry to many Jewish refugees during the Holocaust.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Starring Elordi and Barry Keoghan, Fennell’s dark comedy about class resentment and covetous destruction was sold on the promise of erotic excess.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
9 Feb. 2026
-
For most players, that amount of storage is realistically enough for all but the most covetous data hoarders.—
Matt Kamen,
Wired News,
3 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Regardless of the level of material damage, Shiites are deploring the physical and spiritual assaults against their sacred landscape.—
Mary Thurlkill,
The Conversation,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grudging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grudging. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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