plod

1 of 2

verb

ˈpläd 

plodded; plodding

intransitive verb

1

: to work laboriously and monotonously : drudge

plodded through his work

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

plodded the trail

plod noun

plodder noun

ploddingly

ˈplä-diŋ-lē 

adverb

plodder

2 of 2

noun

plod·​der

-ädə(r)

plural -s

1

: one that plods

especially : a person who proceeds or works slowly, steadily, and unimaginatively

thick-witted, insensitive plodders … unable to follow the transcendental speculations of their opponents

—C. W. Shumaker

the plodders who do exactly what they're told

—Ethelbert Robinson

2

: a machine for making ribbons or chips of milled soap into cakes by means of a spiral screw that forces the soap into a compression chamber and through a die

Synonyms of plod

Verb

• struggle
• strive
• labor
• work
• try

Examples of plod in a Sentence

Verb

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

Verb

Unscary, plodding, dreary with a cast of characters that isn’t dwindling in terms of body count, but certainly in terms of my enjoyment and respect. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026

Even the special effects emerge as less than spectacular — especially since Jeannot Szwarc’s plodding direction affords ample time for one to sit there and figure out just how they were accomplished. — Arthur Knight, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2026

But plodding through them offers little pleasure, guilty or otherwise. — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026

Brunson was too small (6-foot-2), not long enough (with a 6-foot-4 wingspan) and too plodding. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb

1562, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for plod

• awed
• baaed
• baud
• bawd
• brod
• clawed
• cod
• flawed
• fraud
• gnawed
• god
• jawed

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