grind 1 of 6

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4

grind

2 of 6

verb (1)

1
as in to rub
to make smooth by friction after they are ground and polished, these stones can be used for jewelry

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

6

grind (down)

3 of 6

verb (2)

as in to overwhelm
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress the workers are being ground down by the long work hours which leave them little time for anything else

Synonyms & Similar Words

grind (out)

4 of 6

verb (3)

grinding

5 of 6

adjective

grinding

6 of 6

verb (4)

present participle of grind
1
2
as in gritting
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
5
as in scratching
to pass roughly and noisily over or against a surface ground the rock against the stone wall

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

6

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

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
That’s true, but Ejiofor and Boozer take on extra importance in a game that should be nothing short of a gritty, grind-it-out slugfest. Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2026 As with Netflix’s Christmas Day NFL doubleheader, the limited MLB partnership is designed to turn some heads without getting caught up in the grind of having to produce a weekly telecast. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
The resulting disruptions have ground some airports to a near-halt, while others contend with security lines that snake out into parking lots and last upward of four hours. Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026 Not after grinding his way into a reputation as one of the league’s most disruptive point-of-attack defenders. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2026
Verb
The war then settled into a grinding pace, with Russia slowly regaining the upper hand. Olivier Kempf, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026 Not after grinding his way into a reputation as one of the league’s most disruptive point-of-attack defenders. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for grind
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grind
Noun
  • The original nine-horse field for the Derby was reduced to six due to the scratches of Albus, Redland Rebels and Gregarious.
    Clark Spencer, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
  • Meanwhile, in Japan, researchers are having success with their quest to grow hair follicles from scratch in a lab.
    The Week UK, TheWeek, 27 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Needless to say, so is every music nerd on the internet considering the band’s most recent album of experimental glitch rap, Year of the Snitch, came out way back in 2018.
    Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 23 Mar. 2026
  • But 15-year-old high school speech and debate nerds would catch it right away.
    Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 22 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • At a Tuesday afternoon news conference in Sacramento City Hall, the mother and daughter stood beside their attorney, immigration advocates and local lawmakers — many of whom were involved in a weeks-long effort to bring her home.
    Mathew Miranda Updated March 31, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Of course, the usual efforts around going plastic-free and energy-efficient are in place.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • This will help improve the overall effectiveness, since your skin can better absorb the product (the same goes for all of the other formulas in your routine).
    Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 26 Mar. 2026
  • The ten-part series will see Wahlberg putting some of the world’s biggest digital creators through his famous workout routine at his home gym while also holding candid conversations.
    Peter White, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Recently, internet infrastructure provider Cloudflare likened the platform to North Korean hackers for bypassing anti-scraping protections on websites.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Water damage, humidity, and hinges that need adjustments can also create shifts that leave scrapes and wear.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2026
  • Recovery and What Comes Next At SeaWorld’s facility, the care team focused on hydrating and warming the manatee while treating cuts and scrapes on the belly and underside, as well as treating an infection.
    Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Segel makes Dan a bitterly perceptive geek, out of his depth but eager to prove himself, while Weaving invests Lisa with a snappishness that only camouflages her pain.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
  • Such comes with a 12-game win streak and computer numbers that make even the geeks party on Broadway.
    Noah White, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Tuesday marks California's inaugural Farmworkers Day, which was formally approved last week to replace Cesar Chavez Day after serious allegations against the late labor leader came to light.
    Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Two days later, labor leaders joined a handful of US lawmakers in a DC hotel ballroom to strategize how to fight back as AI threatens to displace workers and remake the global economy.
    Bloomberg, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grind.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grind. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on grind

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster