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
Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025
So maybe athletes in other sports will start grunting more — and more deeply.
—Brandon Griggs, CNN Money, 8 July 2025
Chad Kirchner, ArsTechnica, 16 July 2025
Grouchy faces tend to favor grunts as their code of exchange.
—Han Ong, New Yorker, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for grunt
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Verb
Benchley merely grunted against the throbbing force at the other end of the line.
—Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025
So maybe athletes in other sports will start grunting more — and more deeply.
—Brandon Griggs, CNN Money, 8 July 2025
Noun
The 250+ has plenty of grunt for most of the driving normal people do.
—Chad Kirchner, ArsTechnica, 16 July 2025
Grouchy faces tend to favor grunts as their code of exchange.
—Han Ong, New Yorker, 22 June 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 20 Aug. 2025.
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