Other forms: begrudging, begrudged, begrudges
To begrudge is to resent giving somebody what they have. Begrudge him the money, not begrudge her the win, begrudged every penny.
It takes two objects — begrudge somebody something — and the commonest use is the negative: I do not begrudge them their success, which is a way of admitting you nearly did. It is milder than envy because it is about the giving rather than the wanting. Note grudge; and that the be- here is intensifying.
1verbbegrudgeTo resent giving somebody what they have.
“I don't begrudge him his success; he worked hard for it.”
begrudge is a resenting.
Middle English bigrucchen is be- plus grudge, from an Old French verb meaning to grumble. Grouch and grudge come from the same grumbling.
Middle English
bigrucchen — to grumble at
English, today
begrudge
From Middle English bigrucchen (“to grumble at”), equivalent to be- + grudge. Compare also English begrouch.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA