Illustration of grunt
- grunt 2
grunted; grunting; grunts
: to utter a grunt
: to utter with a grunt
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
Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
But young Fraser barely grunts under the punishment, then puts his shirt back on and goes to see how Julia is doing.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 10 Sep. 2025
The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader reported that the family also experienced foul odors and heard pig grunts in the home.
—Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grunt
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Verb
Ohtani grunted his way through the trouble, emptying the tank to keep a zero on the board.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
But young Fraser barely grunts under the punishment, then puts his shirt back on and goes to see how Julia is doing.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
All that grunt is split between all four wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 10 Sep. 2025
The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader reported that the family also experienced foul odors and heard pig grunts in the home.
—Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 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 13 Sep. 2025.
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