plod

verb

ˈpläd 

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

ˈplä-diŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• bang away
• beaver (away)
• dig (away)
• drudge
• endeavor
• fag
• grub
• hump
• hustle
• labor
• moil
• peg (away)
• plow
• plug
• slave
• slog
• strain
• strive
• struggle
• sweat
• toil
• travail
• tug
• work

Examples of plod in a Sentence

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

The result, however, is a generic and plodding revenge thriller that’s nowhere near bold enough to justify the franchise’s resurrection. —Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 22 Aug. 2024

Tropical Storm Debby, a plodding, waterlogged system that has already saturated four southeastern states, bears many characteristics of a warming planet, climate scientists say. —Amy Green, Vox, 6 Aug. 2024

Trump's energy appears to mirror that plodding style. —Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY, 16 May 2024

Adam Driver leads this plodding drama that can’t find its center. —EW.com, 12 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Kids Definition

plod

verb

ˈpläd 

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

-iŋ-lē 

adverb