Illustration of grunt
- grunt 2
grunted; grunting; grunts
: to utter a grunt
He didn't answer, only grunted.
: to utter with a grunt
"No," he grunted.
grunter
noun
plural grunts
1
a
: the deep short sound characteristic of a hog
b
: a similar sound
2
[from the noise it makes when taken from the water]
: any of a family (Haemulidae synonym Pomadasyidae) of chiefly tropical marine bony fishes
3
: a dessert made by dropping biscuit dough on top of boiling berries and steaming
blueberry grunt
4
a
: a U.S. army or marine foot soldier especially in the Vietnam War
b
: one who does routine unglamorous work
—often used attributively
grunt work
Examples of grunt in a Sentence
Verb
The workers were grunting with effort as they lifted the heavy furniture.
She grunted a few words in reply, then turned and walked away.
Noun
the grunt of a pig
I could hear the grunts of the movers as they lifted the heavy furniture.
He answered her with a grunt.
He was a grunt who worked his way up to become an officer.
He's just a grunt in the attorney's office.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jeff Spry, Space.com, 10 Dec. 2025
People are well outnumbered by the humpbacks and pods of orcas, bald eagles and herons, seals and sea lions grunting their tone-deaf tunes atop the rocks.
—Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 5 Dec. 2025
Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Again, Larkin gave a non-committal grunt.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grunt
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Verb
Larkin grunted and said nothing.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 10 Dec. 2025
People are well outnumbered by the humpbacks and pods of orcas, bald eagles and herons, seals and sea lions grunting their tone-deaf tunes atop the rocks.
—Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 5 Dec. 2025
Noun
At the ciénega, Pitt noted the rhythmic grunts of a Yuma Ridgway’s rail, a resident marsh bird the size of a chicken that makes a racket but rarely shows itself among the reeds.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Again, Larkin gave a non-committal grunt.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grunt
Cite this Entry
“Grunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grunt. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.
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