grind

verb

\ˈgrīnd

ground\ ˈgrau̇nd

\; grinding

Definition of grind

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to reduce to powder or small fragments by friction (as in a mill or with the teeth) grind the coffee beans

2 : to wear down, polish, or sharpen by friction grind an ax

3a : oppress, harass tyrants who grind their subjects

b : to weaken or destroy gradually —usually used with down poverty ground her spirit down

4a : to press together with a rotating motion grind the teeth

b : to rub or press harshly ground the cigarette out

5 : to operate or produce by turning a crank grind a hand organ

intransitive verb

1 : to perform the operation of grinding

2 : to become pulverized, polished, or sharpened by friction

3 : to move with difficulty or friction especially so as to make a grating noise gears grinding

4 : drudge especially : to study hard grind for an exam

5 : to rotate the hips in an erotic manner

grind

noun

Definition of grind (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : an act of grinding

b : the sound of grinding

2a : dreary, monotonous, or difficult labor, study, or routine the dull grind of office work

b : one who works or studies excessively a grind who never goes to parties

3 : the result of grinding also : material ground to a particular degree of fineness a drip grind of coffee

4 : an action of rotating the hips in an erotic manner (as in a dance or in a burlesque striptease act) — compare bump entry 1 sense 3

Other Words from grind Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about grind

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms & Antonyms for grind

Synonyms: Verb

edge, hone, sharpen, stone, strop, whet

Synonyms: Noun

donkeywork, drudge, drudgery, fatigue, labor, moil, slavery, sweat, toil, travail

Antonyms: Verb

blunt, dull

Antonyms: Noun

fun, play

Choose the Right Synonym for grind

Noun

work, labor, travail, toil, drudgery, grind mean activity involving effort or exertion. work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force. too tired to do any work labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion. farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering. years of travail were lost when the house burned toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor. his lot would be years of back-breaking toil drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor. an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body. the grind of the assembly line

Examples of grind in a Sentence

Verb

The corn is ground into meal. The steel grinds to a sharp edge. She kept grinding the car's gears. He grinds his teeth in his sleep. I could hear the gears grinding.

Noun

I need a break from the daily grind. the dull grind of office work

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

No need to worry about grinding gears, stalling out or other operator errors. — Robert Duffer, chicagotribune.com, "The shift is on: Manual transmissions may be endangered but they're also beloved," 11 July 2018 Apparently, my way of cycling (grinding and mashing) is more fatiguing. — Lori Nickel, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Guided bike trip through hills of Tuscany offers unforgettable vistas and lessons," 10 July 2018 Hopdoddy’s uses only naturally raised drug-free beef from partner ranchers in Texas and Colorado, and all proteins are ground fresh daily at each location. — Larry Olmsted, USA TODAY, "America’s unique burger styles, and where to try them," 4 July 2018 The studio isn't the only place in which the rap legend has been grinding, though. — Christopher Cason, GQ, "The Real-Life Diet of Jeezy, Who Became a Distance Runner and Lost 60 Pounds," 3 July 2018 About 20-30 percent of kids grind their teeth or clench their jaws. — Mary Caldwell, ajc, "Is your child's teeth grinding normal?," 30 June 2018 Aries This is the work that is long and grinding, the kind of work that wears you out: to keep being kind even when your kindness isn’t enough, to keep being generous when generosity’s not enough either. — Jenny Sharaf, The Cut, "Madame Clairevoyant: Horoscopes for the Week of June 25," 25 June 2018 For most of us, golf is about grinding, about finding satisfaction in incremental improvements and managing expectations. — Chris Brodeur, courant.com, "How Difficult Was Jordan Spieth's Winning Bunker Shot At The Travelers Championship? Like Many, We Tried It," 20 June 2018 Professional football grinds up the average player in less than four seasons. — Childs Walker, baltimoresun.com, "Terrell Suggs not even thinking retirement as he enters 16th season with Ravens," 14 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Mary Benton, who owns a sprawling 83-acre property in Pottstown, is familiar with the grind of farm life. — Katie Park, Philly.com, "Like your organic food? Pennsylvania's young farmers are growing it," 11 July 2018 Drizzle olive oil over top, followed by a squeeze of lemon juice from remaining lemon half, a sprinkle of sea salt and a few grinds of pepper. — Jonah Miller, WSJ, "Throw a Summer Party the Effortless Spanish Way," 6 July 2018 The law applies even while stopped at a red light, a stop sign or while stuck in the grueling grind of metro Atlanta traffic. — Tyler Estep, ajc, "Hands-free law forcing Georgia drivers to kick phone habit," 5 July 2018 Reaching the final at Roland Garros was a career-best Grand Slam result for the 24-year-old Austrian, but the grind of the clay-court season appeared to have taken its toll. — Houston Chronicle, "Maria Sharapova falls in first round at Wimbledon," 3 July 2018 This depth affords coach Peter Vermes the chance to provide players such as Russell with a day off during the grind of the season. — Sam Mcdowell, kansascity, "Sporting KC: Handing out midterm grades and a forecast for the second half," 3 July 2018 Maybe this is what a second-year player is supposed to say in the middle of summer, the grind of camp and the stress of the season still months away. — Zak Keefer, Indianapolis Star, "Colts: In new scheme, Tarell Basham gets his chance to flourish," 10 June 2018 Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and thyme and season with ½ teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper, or to taste. — Noelle Carter, latimes.com, "Cooking for comfort? Anthony Bourdain's rich lasagna Bolognese is one of our favorites," 8 June 2018 Four-star guard Eric Ayala will be well prepared for the grind of a college schedule after a standout season for prep powerhouse IMG Academy. — Jonas Shaffer, baltimoresun.com, "With Huerter gone and Fernando back, Maryland basketball has familiar potential and problems ahead," 2 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'grind.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.