begrudge

verb

be·​grudge bi-ˈgrəj 

bē-

begrudged; begrudging; begrudges

transitive verb

1

: to give or concede reluctantly or with displeasure

begrudge money

begrudged the weeks spent away from home

2

: to look upon with disapproval or envy

begrudge their rivals' success

begrudger

bi-ˈgrə-jər 

bē-

noun

Synonyms

• envy
• resent

Examples of begrudge in a Sentence

She's worked hard to get where she is. You shouldn't begrudge her the success she's earned.

After what he's been through, it's hard to begrudge him the money he has.

You shouldn't begrudge her success.

Many commuters begrudge every minute spent in traffic.

Recent Examples on the Web

At the same time, if Manning one day does don a gold jacket, no one will begrudge him — because his career will have earned him the votes to make it so. —Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2025

Don’t begrudge others their micro-moments of glory. —John Bowe, Contributor, CNBC, 7 Feb. 2025

In The Life with Zac Posen Celebrities The 73 Best Answers in 73 Questions After all, what these moments pointed to wasn’t necessarily a tokenistic, begrudging attempt by the Grammys to make up for their past sins. —Liam Hess, Vogue, 3 Feb. 2025

On the subject of injuries, given the rotten luck he’s had, surely no one would begrudge Kei Nishikori a last flourish in his career. —Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English begrucchen, from be- be- + grucchen, gruggen "to murmur, grudge entry 1"

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

begrudge

verb

be·​grudge bi-ˈgrəj 

: to give or do reluctantly

begrudge a person a favor

begrudgingly

-ˈgrəj-iŋ-lē 

adverb