grind 1 of 2

noun

Definition of grindnext
1
as in scratch
a harsh grating sound the grind of ice in the blender sent the cat running from the room

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2
as in nerd
a person slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits don't be such a grind—go out with your friends and enjoy yourself

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3
as in effort
very hard or unpleasant work yard work is a real grind

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4
as in routine
an established and often automatic or monotonous series of actions followed when engaging in some activity the daily grind of a 50-mile commute was getting old

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grind

2 of 2

verb

ˈgrīnd How to pronounce grind (audio)
1
as in to rub
to make smooth by friction after they are ground and polished, these stones can be used for jewelry

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to grit
to press or strike against or together so as to make a scraping sound everyone in the car winced when the driver ground the gears trying to shift into second

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3
as in to sharpen
to make sharp or sharper better grind down that ax before you even think about trying to cut down that tree

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4
as in to polish
to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure used the finest polishing paper he could to grind down the facets of the diamond before dusting it with a soft cloth

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5
as in to scratch
to pass roughly and noisily over or against a surface ground the rock against the stone wall

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6
as in to crush
to reduce to fine particles grind whole coffee beans if you want the freshest coffee

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun grind contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of grind are drudgery, labor, toil, travail, and work. While all these words mean "activity involving effort or exertion," grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body.

the grind of the assembly line

When might drudgery be a better fit than grind?

In some situations, the words drudgery and grind are roughly equivalent. However, drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor.

an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

When would labor be a good substitute for grind?

While the synonyms labor and grind are close in meaning, labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.

farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

When is toil a more appropriate choice than grind?

The words toil and grind are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor.

his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

When could travail be used to replace grind?

The synonyms travail and grind are sometimes interchangeable, but travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering.

years of travail were lost when the house burned

In what contexts can work take the place of grind?

The meanings of work and grind largely overlap; however, work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force.

too tired to do any work

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of grind
Noun
Some found delicate Indian arrowheads, and others found a welcome change of pace from the smog and the grind of life on the West Coast. — Erwin A. Bauer, Outdoor Life, 14 Oct. 2026 Che was still on the open-mic grind when he was hired at Saturday Night Live as a guest writer in 2013 for season 39. — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
That triggered lawsuits that can raise the cost of developments and grind them to a halt in years of litigation. — Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 As the war ground to a close and Soviet forces advanced on Austria, the family hid the sculpture in their home; it was rediscovered years later, when the house was being renovated. — News Desk, Artforum, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for grind
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grind
  1. scratch
  2. nerd
  3. effort
  4. routine
  5. rub
  6. grit
  7. sharpen
  8. polish
Noun
  • The album featured the sexy, chicken-scratch funk of the 1970s melted down to something slow and gooey next to early-morning comedown music for a ’90s-style sunrise in the chill-out room.
    — Jack Denton, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The ice cream shop, currently open in the Brookside area, is known for its small-batch, made-from-scratch French-style ice cream and rotating flavor lineup.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of scratch
Noun
  • The iPhone has been the same for so long that being forced to come up with little moves and tricks and ways to think about holding the Duo is a gadget nerd thrill.
    — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Harbach is a gifted observer of undergraduates, their pathos and their comedy, but his Westish is a gentle and perhaps too-good-natured institution, where even the jocks are nerds.
    — B. D. McClay, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of nerd
Noun
  • The $60 million ceiling covers a three-year development effort, but the announcement does not establish a final procurement value.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Over the past two months, amid efforts to find what could be more than $20 billion to recapitalize insurance funds, Walter has sold his controlling interest in the Lakers and a minority share of Chelsea, the English Premier League club.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of effort
Noun
  • The Sun enters your 6th House, beginning a month focused on routines, responsibilities, health, work, and the systems that keep everything moving.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Elective care is now part of the commercial landscape, giving residents additional options for their personal wellness routine.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of routine
Verb
  • The discovery was made Wednesday in the Hickory Ridge area of east Charlotte, and responding officers report a man drenched in sweat tried to rub them down with garlic and bite them, according to an affidavit.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2026
  • True, but there are other issues that rubbed me the wrong way (sorry).
    — Valerie Monroe, Allure, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of rub
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Russian drivers grit their teeth, endure the lines, and hope that government promises that the shortages will ease after the agricultural harvest season – a time of peak demand – are fulfilled.
    — Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Red flag The Dodgers still don’t know what to reasonably expect from Ohtani, gritting out the postseason despite discomfort in his left knee and right arm.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of grit
Verb
  • Anxiety knocks people off autopilot, sharpens attention and sends them looking for new information.
    — Monique Mitchell Turner, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2026
  • If this more potent engine wasn’t enough, the 2027 Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 bristles with fresh technology and engineering enhancements to sharpen its driving dynamics.
    — Howard Walker, Robb Report, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of sharpen
Verb
  • The asymmetrical hemline of the sweater is right on trend and makes the whole look feel much more intentional, while the slouchy silhouette still looks polished enough for a coffee run after landing.
    — Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Almost all of them seemed empty, like houses closed for the season, but a handful had signs of life—crewmen at the railings, polishing the brightwork, as if getting ready to leave.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of polish

Phrases Containing grind

Browse Nearby Words

grinches
grind
grind (down)
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Cite this Entry

“Grind.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grind. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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