Illustration of grunt
- grunt 2
grunted; grunting; grunts
: to utter a grunt
He didn't answer, only grunted.
: to utter with a grunt
"No," he grunted.
grunter
noun
plural grunts
1
a
: the deep short sound characteristic of a hog
b
: a similar sound
2
[from the noise it makes when taken from the water]
: any of a family (Haemulidae synonym Pomadasyidae) of chiefly tropical marine bony fishes
3
: a dessert made by dropping biscuit dough on top of boiling berries and steaming
blueberry grunt
4
a
: a U.S. army or marine foot soldier especially in the Vietnam War
b
: one who does routine unglamorous work
—often used attributively
grunt work
Examples of grunt in a Sentence
Verb
The workers were grunting with effort as they lifted the heavy furniture.
She grunted a few words in reply, then turned and walked away.
Noun
the grunt of a pig
I could hear the grunts of the movers as they lifted the heavy furniture.
He answered her with a grunt.
He was a grunt who worked his way up to become an officer.
He's just a grunt in the attorney's office.
Recent Examples on the Web
Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 10 Apr. 2026
As the group hopped and grunted, Keuilian strode through the room with a video crew, shooting a Squire promo (two takes).
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
New Atlas, 3 May 2026
Corinthian can cruise silently and emissions-free using wind power alone, but the engines will kick in if more grunt is required.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grunt
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Verb
Before the splashy announcement came years of behind-the-scenes grunt work.
—Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 10 Apr. 2026
As the group hopped and grunted, Keuilian strode through the room with a video crew, shooting a Squire promo (two takes).
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
No waiting for turbos to spool, no artificial torque curves; nothing but straightforward grunt.
—New Atlas, 3 May 2026
Corinthian can cruise silently and emissions-free using wind power alone, but the engines will kick in if more grunt is required.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grunt
Cite this Entry
“Grunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grunt. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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