grind

verb \ ˈgrīnd \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

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

During the work, lanes will be ground down and then repaved.

— rosemarie stein, OregonLive.com, "Portland Metro Tuesday Traffic: Rain for the morning's bike ride, walk, bus stop or drive," 10 Apr. 2018
Fellini, farfalle, Fendi As if the history of civilization weren't enough, Rome’s also ground zero for the golden era of Italian cinema.

— Condé Nast Traveler, "The World's Most Beautiful Train Stations," 10 Apr. 2018
Entrenched conservative values will clash this year with a liberal fervor that often plays out at the local level, in grinding, unglamorous work.

— susan chira, New York Times, "Year of the Woman? In Arizona, It’s Women, Plural, and It’s Both Parties," 9 Apr. 2018
Wyant has done it by not only grinding on the court, but by molding his kids into young men who appreciate all the chances they are given and value hard work.

— shelby dermer, Cincinnati.com, "Bryan Wyant's success at Hughes is about more than just basketball," 6 Apr. 2018
Six years later, construction that finally started in late 2016 grinds slowly on, but an end of the work may be in sight for the Pratt Street Pavilion.

— lorraine mirabella, baltimoresun.com, "Slow renovation of Baltimore's Harborplace may be nearing an end," 5 Apr. 2018
The Wolverines will want this to be a grinding, low-scoring game and prevent Villanova from getting run-outs or 3-pointers in transition.

— creg stephenson, AL.com, "What time, TV channel is Michigan vs. Villanova? NCAA tournament championship 2018," 2 Apr. 2018
Almonds can be ground into a butter form or thinly sliced as a garnish to foods and still help strengthen your bones.

— chicagotribune.com, "Feed your bones with these crucial foods," 1 Apr. 2018
When the peppercorns are room temperature, grind them as finely as possible with a spice grinder. Pour the ground Sichuan peppercorns through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl.

— sarah fritsche, San Francisco Chronicle, "Recipe: Mapo Doufu," 27 Mar. 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

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 : the act of rotating the hips in an erotic manner

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

It's been a two-year process, a real grind of a group of guys to be able to become something worthy, to earn an opportunity to go to the next dance.

— ira winderman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Rodney McGruder stands as Heat playoff safety net," 5 Apr. 2018
The grind was loose enough so that the meat didn’t compact on the grill, and the beef flavor was full and satisfying.

— alison cook, Houston Chronicle, "Burger Friday: Shake Shack," 30 Mar. 2018
Instead, exchange happy memories and catch up on each other’s personal lives, which is something that often gets lost in the daily grind of running a firm.

— steven p. dinkin, sandiegouniontribune.com, "The absentee designer and the seething sales rep," 25 Mar. 2018
The resulting film is a cross between an erotic thriller and slow-burn spy procedural, showing both the daily grind of office work and only slightly more glamorous fieldwork.

— katie kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, "How 'Red Sparrow' Author Made the Film More "Authentically CIA"," 1 Mar. 2018
Mazda gets that, and the CX-9 crossover is its flagship example of bringing driving satisfaction to the daily grind, a sophisticated standout that sets the benchmark for how a three-row SUV should satisfy its driver.

— Car and Driver, "2018 10Best Trucks and SUVs: The Best Models in Every Segment," 30 Jan. 2018
Not until after Monday night can the program sit back and gauge whether the grind was worth the effort.

— paul myerberg, USA TODAY, "Alabama players can have fun, but only if they get the job done," 6 Jan. 2018
And, plus, the AAF would be only a four- or five-month commitment rather than the year-around grind of coaching college football or the NFL.

— mike bianchi, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Steve Spurrier "interested" in coaching Orlando's next pro football team — and maybe Tebow will be QB," 28 Mar. 2018
Your veteran team feeling the grind of the 82-game schedule just as the Flyers’ kiddie corps begins to reap the rewards of its season-long trials?

— sam donnellon, Philly.com, "Maturing kids could make Flyers dangerous in playoffs | Sam Donnellon," 18 Mar. 2018

Origin and Etymology of grind

see ¹grind

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

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

grind

noun

Definition of grind for English Language Learners

: boring or difficult work
: a person who works or studies too much
—used to describe the size of the pieces of something that has been ground

GRIND Defined for Kids

grind

verb \ ˈgrīnd \

Definition of grind for Students

ground \ˈgrau̇nd\; grinding

1 : to make or be made into powder or small pieces by rubbing

The mill grinds wheat into flour.

2 : to wear down, polish, or sharpen by friction

grind an ax

3 : to rub together with a scraping noise

grind the teeth

4 : to operate or produce by or as if by turning a crank

grind

noun

Definition of grind for Students

1 : an act of sharpening or reducing to powder

2 : steady hard work

the daily grind

Medical Dictionary

grind

transitive verb \ ˈgrīnd \

medical Definition of grind

ground play \ˈgrau̇nd\; grinding

1 : to reduce to powder or small fragments by friction (as with the teeth)

2 : to press together and move with a rotating or back-and-forth motion — see bruxism

Learn More about grind

See words that rhyme with grind Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for grind Spanish Central: Translation of grind Nglish: Translation of grind for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of grind for Arabic speakers

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grind

Definition of grind

grindingly

Examples of grind in a Sentence

Recent Examples of grind from the Web

Origin and Etymology of grind

grind Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

grind

Definition of grind

Examples of grind in a Sentence

Recent Examples of grind from the Web

Origin and Etymology of grind

grind Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Synonym Discussion of grind

Other Dance Terms

GRIND Defined for English Language Learners

grind

Definition of grind for English Language Learners

grind

Definition of grind for English Language Learners

GRIND Defined for Kids

grind

Definition of grind for Students

grind

Definition of grind for Students

Medical Dictionary

grind

medical Definition of grind

Learn More about grind

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