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
Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 23 Mar. 2026
The natural world is a cacophony of squawks, screeches, coos, chirps, whinnies, grunts, growls, and more.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 19 Mar. 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
As for grunt, the Zeelander 8 can be equipped with up to four Volvo Penta IPS-1350 engines that afford a top speed of 40 knots, a cruising speed of 32 knots, and a range of 2,700 nautical miles at 7 knots.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 23 Mar. 2026
The natural world is a cacophony of squawks, screeches, coos, chirps, whinnies, grunts, growls, and more.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 19 Mar. 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 30 Mar. 2026.
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