grind

1 of 2

verb

ground ˈgrau̇nd How to pronounce grind (audio) ; grinding

transitive verb

1
: to reduce to powder or small fragments by friction (as in a mill or with the teeth)
grind the coffee beans
2
: to wear down, polish, or sharpen by friction
grind an ax
3
a
: oppress, harass
tyrants who grind their subjects
b
: to weaken or destroy gradually
usually used with down
poverty ground her spirit down
4
a
: to press together with a rotating motion
grind the teeth
b
: to rub or press harshly
ground the cigarette out
5
: to operate or produce by turning a crank
grind a hand organ

intransitive verb

1
: to perform the operation of grinding
2
: to become pulverized, polished, or sharpened by friction
3
: to move with difficulty or friction especially so as to make a grating noise
gears grinding
4
: drudge
especially : to study hard
grind for an exam
5
: to rotate the hips in an erotic manner
grindingly adverb

grind

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: an act of grinding
b
: the sound of grinding
2
a
: dreary, monotonous, or difficult labor, study, or routine
the dull grind of office work
b
: one who works or studies excessively
a grind who never goes to parties
3
: the result of grinding
also : material ground to a particular degree of fineness
a drip grind of coffee
4
: an action of rotating the hips in an erotic manner (as in a dance or in a burlesque striptease act) compare bump entry 1 sense 3
Choose the Right Synonym for grind

work, labor, travail, toil, drudgery, grind mean activity involving effort or exertion.

work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force.

too tired to do any work

labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.

farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering.

years of travail were lost when the house burned

toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor.

his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor.

an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body.

the grind of the assembly line

Examples of grind in a Sentence

Verb The corn is ground into meal. The steel grinds to a sharp edge. She kept grinding the car's gears. He grinds his teeth in his sleep. I could hear the gears grinding. Noun I need a break from the daily grind. the dull grind of office work
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
Limestone and clay are ground up and fed into a very long rotating kiln heated to about 1,450C (2,640F). Lara Williams, The Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2024 Routines ground us in the here and now and remind us of things within our control that do not have to change. Stephanie Innes, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
But following 45 years of head coaching, VanDerveer has been content to enjoy her life away from the day-to-day grind. Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024 Patrons could choose from a variety of beans, decide on the grind level and specify the brewing method. 7. Jason Richmond, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for grind 

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Old English grindan; akin to Latin frendere to crush, grind

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of grind was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near grind

Cite this Entry

“Grind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grind. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

grind

1 of 2 verb
ground ˈgrau̇nd How to pronounce grind (audio) ; grinding
1
: to reduce to powder or pieces by friction (as in a mill or with the teeth)
2
: to wear down, polish, or sharpen by friction : whet
3
: to press with a scraping noise : grit
4
5
a
: to operate or produce by turning a crank
b
: to produce by steady hard work
grind out an essay
6
: to move with difficulty or friction especially so as to make a scraping noise
grind the gears

grind

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: an act of grinding
b
: the sound of grinding
2
a
: steady hard work
especially : study that takes much effort
b
: a student who studies too much
3
: the result of grinding
especially : the size of particle obtained by grinding

Medical Definition

grind

transitive verb
ground ˈgrau̇nd How to pronounce grind (audio) ; grinding
1
: to reduce to powder or small fragments by friction (as with the teeth)
2
: to press together and move with a rotating or back-and-forth motion see bruxism

More from Merriam-Webster on grind

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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