Illustration of grunt
- grunt 2
grunted; grunting; grunts
: to utter a grunt
: to utter with a grunt
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
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2025
Tim Allen's grunting tool man led one of the '90s most popular sitcoms.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2025
Sarah Matusek, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Apr. 2025
Bonobos, great apes related to us and chimpanzees that live in the Republic of Congo, communicate with vocal calls including peeps, hoots, yelps, grunts, and whistles.
—ArsTechnica, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grunt
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Verb
Plus, one of those grunting villagers makes his way to Idaho and Jennifer Coolidge falls in love with him.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2025
Tim Allen's grunting tool man led one of the '90s most popular sitcoms.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2025
Noun
The conversation builds, with groans and grunts and heaving sighs, rattling the valley and its birds.
—Sarah Matusek, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Apr. 2025
Bonobos, great apes related to us and chimpanzees that live in the Republic of Congo, communicate with vocal calls including peeps, hoots, yelps, grunts, and whistles.
—ArsTechnica, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grunt
Cite this Entry
“Grunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grunt. Accessed 17 May. 2025.
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