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
Hurubie Meko, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2025
Their odd-couple pairing became a magnificent slow burn of hatred into grudging respect into genuine affection, making for a tantalizing will-they-won't-they.
—Tyler Aquilina, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Those revenues supported limited federal spending—on average only about 3% of gross domestic product compared to 23% today—for a few grudging investments in infrastructure.
— Made By History, Time, 16 Apr. 2025
In the decades since, Iran-U.S. relations have see-sawed between enmity and grudging diplomacy, with relations peaking when Tehran made the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers before Trump withdrew from the deal, sparking more tensions in the Mideast that persist today.
—Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grudging
Verb
Federal officials have sometimes responded to adverse decisions with dawdling or grudging compliance.
—Hurubie Meko, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2025
Their odd-couple pairing became a magnificent slow burn of hatred into grudging respect into genuine affection, making for a tantalizing will-they-won't-they.
—Tyler Aquilina, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Those revenues supported limited federal spending—on average only about 3% of gross domestic product compared to 23% today—for a few grudging investments in infrastructure.
— Made By History, Time, 16 Apr. 2025
In the decades since, Iran-U.S. relations have see-sawed between enmity and grudging diplomacy, with relations peaking when Tehran made the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers before Trump withdrew from the deal, sparking more tensions in the Mideast that persist today.
—Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grudging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grudging
Adjective
-
The takeaway: Be careful about triggering too many credit inquiries.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
13 July 2025
-
However, later in the day, be careful about jumping to conclusions when dealing with others.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
13 July 2025
Verb
-
What remained unclear is how much of a lasting boost China’s economy could get from the ingenuity of one start-up, or how much confidence the business community could derive from the sudden friendliness of a leader who has a reputation for distrusting and disliking the private sector.—
Li Yuan,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2025
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And if casually disliking January wasn't enough, 13% of Americans reported hating it.—
Greta Cross,
USA TODAY,
1 Feb. 2025
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
Adjective
-
Pete Fairbanks, Tampa Bay Rays – Perhaps the most economical buy among available pitchers is this terrific closer, a steal at $3.82 million (with an $8 million club option or $1 million buyout for next year).—
Dan Schlossberg,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
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Although the Hornets could benefit from having him around again, his economical contract expires next summer and can be also used in a trade.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
1 July 2025
Adjective
-
This is, in part, correct: Voldemort is extremely covetous of power.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
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Image Meet Me at the Crossroads by Megan Giddings The sudden appearance of seven mysterious doors across the world draws attention from religious sects, covetous billionaires and everyday people who speculate over what lies on the other side.—
Laura Thompson,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
The figure surpasses that of the closest rival, China, which had 317 companies represented.—
Diana Leyva,
The Tennessean,
10 July 2025
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Evening operations require a delicate balance: maintaining service standards while preparing for close and keeping everyone safe.—
Elie Y. Katz,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Verb
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However, the pair were convicted of improperly withholding $94 million of that settlement from 440 plaintiffs.—
Josh Wood,
The Courier-Journal,
23 Dec. 2024
-
Only four of the eight Ivy League schools released information about their early admissions this year, as Harvard joined UPenn, Princeton, and Cornell in withholding the majority of their admissions data until the conclusion of this year's admissions season.—
Christopher Rim,
Forbes,
20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Amber Tamblyn starred as Tibby, who, with her green-streaked hair and resentful attitude, is among the more rebellious girls in the sisterhood.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
28 June 2025
-
Set in the not-very-distant future, cancer has been cured, meaning people are living well past 100, but still retiring around 65 or so, and their demands for the social safety net destroys the economy, leaving a frightfully resentful younger generation with the burden.—
Brian Boone,
Vulture,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grudging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grudging. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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