grind

verb \ ˈgrīnd \

|Updated on: 17 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: grind in a Sentence

Definition of grind

ground play \ˈgrau̇nd\; grinding

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

3 a : oppress, harass

tyrants who grind their subjects

b : to weaken or destroy gradually —usually used with down

poverty ground her spirit down

4 a : 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

—

grindingly

play \ˈgrīn-diŋ-lē\ adverb

See grind defined for English-language learners

See grind defined for kids

Examples of grind in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of grind from the Web

But in other, smaller ways, the experience has ground us down, normalizing mass surveillance as a fact of life.

— maya kosoff, The Hive, "New Jersey Welcomes a New Surveillance State," 11 June 2018
But grinding food shortages and rampant inflation have put even cereal beyond the purchasing power of most families in the hungry country.

— Fortune, "Kellogg Is Shutting Down Operations in Venezuela Amid the Economic Crisis," 16 May 2018
Despite a series of reforms under Mr. Castro, Cuba remains locked in grinding economic stagnation that has driven hundreds of thousands of Cubans to emigrate in search of better lives.

— michael weissenstein and andrea rodriguez, The Christian Science Monitor, "Cubans await transition of power away from ruling revolutionaries," 13 Apr. 2018
One type of wind turbine, the windmill, has been used all over the world for thousands of years to convert wind energy into mechanical energy for tasks such as grinding grain and moving water.

— megan arnett, Scientific American, "Just Keep Spinning--Find the Best Pinwheel Design!," 29 Mar. 2018
According to a report from Variety, Seacrest allegedly groped and grinded against his former E!

— shannon barbour, Cosmopolitan, "Scandal Actress Bellamy Young Apologizes to Ryan Seacrest After Saying He Shouldn't Host the Oscars Red Carpet," 28 Feb. 2018
Sweet, savory flavor and bouncy texture; made from finely ground seafood, often with a bit of salt and sugar; a range of styles awaits you at the Asian market, so choose whichever appeal to you.

— Sunset, "Asian Market Shopping Guide," 22 Jan. 2018
Serves are underhand and the first two hits must be ground strokes before any volleys can be struck.

— gary gibula, Naperville Sun, "Naperville answering demand for pickleball with new courts at Nike Complex, Southwest Park," 14 July 2018
Ozone pollution, or ground-level smog, requires more complex readings on temperature, humidity, and gas makeup, which is a barrier to higher-quality and low-cost monitors for all pollutants.

— jason plautz, WIRED, "Cheap, Portable Sensors Are Democratizing Air-Quality Data," 11 July 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.

Origin and Etymology of grind

Middle English, from Old English grindan; akin to Latin frendere to crush, grind

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

grind Synonyms

grind

noun

Definition of grind

1 a : an act of grinding

b : the sound of grinding

2 a : 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 ¹bump 3

See grind defined for English-language learners

Examples of grind in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of grind from the Web

Combine zest with the chili powder, brown sugar, thyme, cumin, chipotle powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a small bowl.

— susan selasky, charlotteobserver, "Celebrate the Fourth with minimal fuss, maximum flavor," 3 July 2018
The 162-game schedule is a grind, but players usually find a way to put aside their aches and pains to be available each night.

— jeff wilson, star-telegram, "Even Rangers' hottest hitter has to obey his body," 30 June 2018
Former Yoga Journal editor Andrea Feretti's free podcast provides solace from the grind of the news cycle.

— blanca myers, WIRED, "From Mats to Hoodies, 9 Ways to Elevate Your Yoga Practice," 24 June 2018
The three Gilis each have their own personality, but all feel like the ultimate escape from the daily grind.

— sebastian modak, Condé Nast Traveler, "3 Days in Lombok, Indonesia," 16 Apr. 2018
Cooks will come together under one roof to prepare their special grinds and shape and season their creations to impress judges and burger fans.

— susan selasky, Detroit Free Press, "Burger Battle competition returns to Eastern Market," 21 June 2018
The one thing Smith isn't looking at is the grind of having six or seven mounts a card and early morning workouts.

— tom canavan, chicagotribune.com, "Justify jockey Mike Smith becomes oldest to win the Triple Crown," 9 June 2018
The one thing Smith isn’t looking at is the grind of having six or seven mounts a card and early morning workouts.

— tom canavan, The Seattle Times, "Mike Smith, 52, becomes oldest jockey to win Triple Crown," 9 June 2018
My hope is that this country will treat raising children as a public good, not our own private grind to endure.

— shirley leung, BostonGlobe.com, "What I want for Mother’s Day? Not having to do it all," 10 May 2018

Origin and Etymology of grind

see ¹grind

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

grind Synonyms

Synonyms

drudgery, labor, slavery, sweat, toil, travail;

Antonyms

fun, play;

Near Antonyms

decompression, ease, leisure, relaxation, repose, rest;

amusement, dalliance, diversion, entertainment, recreation, sport;

dormancy, idleness, inactivity, inertia, inertness;

dallying, goldbricking, loafing, lolling, lounging;

Related Words

spadework;

effort, exertion, pains, struggle, trouble;

chore, duty, job, obligation, responsibility;

routine, tedium, treadmill;

Synonym Discussion of grind

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

Other Dance Terms

attitude, honor, saltatory, sashay, taw

GRIND Defined for English Language Learners

grind

verb

Definition of grind for English Language Learners

: to crush or break (something) into very small pieces by rubbing it against a rough surface or using a special machine
: to cut (meat) into small pieces by putting it through a special machine
: to make (something) sharp or smooth by rubbing it against a hard surface