grind

1 of 2

verb

ˈgrīnd

ground ˈgrau̇nd

; grinding

Synonyms of grind next

transitive verb

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

grind the coffee beans

: to wear down, polish, or sharpen by friction

grind an ax

: oppress, harass

tyrants who grind their subjects

: to weaken or destroy gradually

—usually used with down

poverty ground her spirit down

: to press together with a rotating motion

grind the teeth

: to rub or press harshly

ground the cigarette out

: to operate or produce by turning a crank

grind a hand organ

intransitive verb

: to perform the operation of grinding

: to become pulverized, polished, or sharpened by friction

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

gears grinding

: drudge

especially : to study hard

grind for an exam

: to rotate the hips in an erotic manner

grindingly

ˈgrīn-diŋ-lē

adverb

grind

2 of 2

noun

: an act of grinding

: the sound of grinding

: dreary, monotonous, or difficult labor, study, or routine

the dull grind of office work

: one who works or studies excessively

a grind who never goes to parties

: the result of grinding

also : material ground to a particular degree of fineness

a drip grind of coffee

: 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

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Example Sentences

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 See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

So after a developer wouldn’t bend to his pressure, Marrocco sought to punish him — threatening to grind his construction projects to a halt. —

Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 16 Mar. 2023 The baseball beat, with its rigorous travel and night-heavy schedule, can grind a reporter down. —

Jason Williams, The Enquirer, 1 Mar. 2023 Another possibility is that Romans used the object to grind or mix food, medicines or cosmetics. —

Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2023 What followed was a grueling artillery war, with Russia using its technical advantage and firepower to grind forward as Ukraine was battling to hold the line. —

Bynadine El-bawab, ABC News, 22 Feb. 2023 It could have been used as a pestle to grind cooking ingredients or medicine. —

Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 21 Feb. 2023 Touch plants, grind them up and smell them, study them under microscopes, and meet the gente who care for them. —

San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Feb. 2023 Almost time to grind through the Battle Pass on both my accounts. —

Kris Holt, Forbes, 6 Feb. 2023 His career is an object lesson in the perils of coming first, and anyone in his position might have an axe to grind. —

Thomas Page, CNN, 27 Jan. 2023

Noun

Under rules of the National Federation of State High School Assns., the high school game doesn’t have a shot clock, meaning a wide range of teams prefer to play grind-it-out lacrosse. —

Luca Evans, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2023 Bennett has barely deviated from that grind-it-out approach throughout a 22-year tenure that has featured nine NCAA Tournament appearances. —

Connor Letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2023 This semifinal was always going to be a slower, grind-it-out type of game. —

Brendan Connelly, The Enquirer, 6 Mar. 2023 Durant led the team in scoring at 19.7 points a game, 3-point shooting (25-of-43) — and remained on his grind for excellence. —

Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 5 Mar. 2023 Since the Badgers are known for their methodical grind-it-out approach, their defensive efficiency tends to be even more favorable because fewer possessions exist. —

Michael Arinze, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2023 Keuilian had a feeling he would be rewarded by sticking to the grind. —

Jodie Cook, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023 TiaCorine has been on a steady grind for years out of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. —

Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2023 While bodyweight and light-equipment workouts had their time, exercisers who haven't rejoined gyms are itching to be back to the grind. —

Cori Ritchey, Men's Health, 3 Jan. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grind.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.