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
Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026
There, the former Dodgers star again grunted (and cursed) loudly a few times while impressing onlookers with his command and movement.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 4 Mar. 2026
The whinny is an unusual combination of both high and low-pitched sounds — like a cross between a grunt and a squeal — that come out at the same time.
—Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grunt
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Verb
Immediately as Silva got out of his SUV, he was shot in the hand and soon after in the head, grunting and groaning in pain as blood spatter suddenly appeared on his uniform sleeve.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026
There, the former Dodgers star again grunted (and cursed) loudly a few times while impressing onlookers with his command and movement.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
Noun
In terms of grunt, Lazzara has equipped its new vessel with a pair of MAN / Caterpillar 1,400 hp engines.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 4 Mar. 2026
The whinny is an unusual combination of both high and low-pitched sounds — like a cross between a grunt and a squeal — that come out at the same time.
—Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grunt
Cite this Entry
“Grunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grunt. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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