plodded; plodding

intransitive verb

1
: to work laboriously and monotonously : drudge
2
a
: to walk heavily or slowly : trudge
b
: to proceed slowly or tediously
the movie's plot just plods along

transitive verb

: to tread slowly or heavily along or over
plod noun
plodder noun
ploddingly adverb

Example Sentences

We plodded through mud that came up past our ankles. I could hear my roommate plodding up the steps to our apartment. We plodded our way across the muddy field. He plodded through his work. The day was plodding along.
Recent Examples on the Web For a movie about a stimulant, there’s a remarkable lack of zip; events plod along like a sober bear. WIRED, 24 Feb. 2023 Over the course of 84 very long minutes, scenes plod along shapelessly, separated by blackouts. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 16 Feb. 2023 But, for the moment, although the power of Big Oil is much weakened, it isn’t broken, and that means that the thirty-year slog toward rational climate policy will have to plod on. Bill Mckibben, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2021 This insect can plod along underwater by literally walking on air. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 8 Aug. 2012 And if there is no path for crypto out of its winter, a potential next step is to plod along as a curiosity in the evolutionary history of money. Steve H. Hanke, National Review, 2 Aug. 2022 Through it all, London remains utterly dominant; the economy, the political class, and the country plod on. Tom Mctague, The Atlantic, 19 June 2022 Farmers plod along in tractors and push wheelbarrows full of hay, while soldiers rush by at high speed to avoid Russian targeting. Serhii Korolchuk, Washington Post, 28 June 2022 Yet, for now, both are content to plod along in the shallows, ignoring the currents pulling events around them. Tom Mctague, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'plod.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of plod was in 1562

Dictionary Entries Near plod

Cite this Entry

“Plod.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plod. Accessed 20 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

plod

verb
plodded; plodding
1
: to walk heavily or slowly : trudge
2
: to work or study with effort
3
: to progress or develop slowly
plod noun
plodder noun
ploddingly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on plod

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