gruel

noun

gru·​el ˈgrü-əl 

1

: a thin porridge

2

[from to get one's gruel to accept punishment] chiefly British : punishment

3

: something that lacks substance or significance

the argument was thin gruel

Examples of gruel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Then, for dinner at the end of a long day, Jake probably has some broth or leftover gruel and thinks about how cold his bones are. —Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2025

Celebrity can be as alluring as royalty to someone who grew up eating gruel in the hinterlands, though such concepts must be imparted somehow. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 16 Feb. 2025

The action-adventure stuff, the horror, the gooey Christmas gruel, and whatever else director Jake Kasdan throws in are, by comparison, lacking. —Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 13 Nov. 2024

The producer followed up a day later with a memo criticizing his star for over-stirring the gruel in a breakfast scene. —Peter Bart, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English grewel, from Anglo-French gruel, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English grūt grout

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for gruel

• cruel
• dual
• duel
• fuel
• jewel
• newel
• accrual
• nonfuel
• refuel
• renewal
• biofuel
• contextual

Kids Definition

gruel

noun

gru·​el ˈgrü-əl 

: a thin food made by boiling cereal (as oatmeal or cornmeal) in water or milk