grind 1 of 2

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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grind

2 of 2

verb

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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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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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

Examples 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
Work-Life Imbalance The grind of Japan's work culture has long been blamed for discouraging parenthood, especially for women who fear losing out on career opportunities. Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 1 Jan. 2025 For James, life was a daily grind of just keeping his head above water. Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 4 Jan. 2025
Verb
Archaeologists discovered numerous traces of the medieval hamlet, including cooking pots, storage vases, millstones used to grind grain, and carbonized remnants of cereal grains and legumes. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Jan. 2025 Andy Reid isn’t going to change his grinding approach, putting points at a premium. Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for grind 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grind
Noun
  • Rather than automakers building custom solutions from scratch, Drive Hyperion provides a complete framework that can be adapted and scaled according to specific needs.
    Esat Dedezade, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
  • The notion that there is a permanent way out—a hack, a kit, a service that gives you all the benefits of dinner cooked from scratch without the labor—is an illusion.
    Rachel Sugar, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Photo : Watch Print The Dial: The Face of the Wristwatch in the 20th Century True watch nerds will appreciate the depth of this intricate reference book exploring the focal point of every watch: the dial.
    Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 8 Jan. 2025
  • Econ nerds met, networked, tried to get jobs, shared ideas, and presented hundreds of academic papers.
    Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 7 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Protecting those at-risk people from severe effects of respiratory illness and norovirus requires a group effort, said Mohammed Raja, MD, assistant professor of infectious diseases at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
    John Loeppky, Verywell Health, 11 Jan. 2025
  • Reese’s seventh double-double of the season (16 points and 10 rebounds) was crucial, but Willard cited Reese’s defensive effort as just as important.
    Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 11 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Public and commercial architecture has long been dependent on a global supply chain, routines of construction, and the conventional wisdom of brokers.
    Justin Davidson, Curbed, 8 Jan. 2025
  • Williamson downplayed how much extra attention he’s put into his hamstrings over the past few months, but the slight alterations in his routine were already showing Tuesday night.
    William Guillory, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • For protection, Hu recommends wearing wraparound glasses or goggles when outdoors and avoiding touching or rubbing your eyes.
    Jackie Snow, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
  • The Irish were also motivated to win Thursday by some pregame comments made by Penn State coach James Franklin, who apparently rubbed Freeman the wrong way during the coaches’ pregame press conference.
    Manny Navarro, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Shane and Ted gritted their teeth and checked their watches as the other passengers oohed and ahhed.
    Darryn King, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
  • By channeling guts and grit into their work, these 10 performers broke away from the pack.
    Natasha Frost, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The war room relaunch is the latest example of the Democratic Party trying to sharpen its online presence — particularly on alternative media platforms — after the election revealed that Trump's media strategy broke through.
    Erin Doherty, Axios, 13 Jan. 2025
  • Organizations need to invest in AI training programs and empower and reward employees for sharpening their skills.
    Gary Drenik, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Instead, Cardozo recommends placing a tea towel in the sink, washing the crystal in lukewarm water with a mild detergent, and polishing it with a lint-free towel.
    Heather Bien, Southern Living, 7 Jan. 2025
  • Stepping out onto cold Turkish marble, polished by centuries of footsteps, feels like walking into the pages of mythology.
    Jennifer Leigh Parker, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near grind

Cite this Entry

“Grind.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grind. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

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