ground
ˈgrau̇nd 
; grinding
; grinding
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
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
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
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
Synonyms
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
Koh Ewe, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
The sharp edge of the blade works to delicately chop and puree softer foods, while the duller edge is designed to grind through spices and harder, more durable foods.
—Jack Byram, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Apr. 2024
That’s often part of the fun with Destiny, though; Bungie adds a broken gun or ability, and players grind for hours to feel ultrapowerful.
—Tom Warren, The Verge, 9 Apr. 2024
After decades of grinding, most people aspire to one day be able to kick up their feet (preferably at a holiday home by the beach) and retire.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Europe, 5 Apr. 2024
That’s all horses--t. That’s the part that grinds me the most.
—Detroit Free Press, 2 Apr. 2024
Instead, you are told to grind to Season Rank 35 to fight Braniac to then unlock him.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
This compact appliance grinds whole beans using a conical burr grinder and then feeds them directly into a reusable filter for brewing, eliminating the need for a separate grinder.
—Moriah Mason, Southern Living, 5 Apr. 2024
That trade came to a grinding halt last Tuesday and has yet to resume.
—Ken Roberts, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
Read the full Libra Daily Horoscope Scorpio (October 23 - November 21)
Is the daily grind becoming chore-like?
—USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024
Corrupt local officials, clueless charity bosses, the daily grind of cajoling poor people to try something new without pissing them off.
—Leif Wenar, WIRED, 27 Mar. 2024
Entering this offseason fully healthy, understanding the role expected of him, Conforto rededicated himself to building up his endurance for the grind of a 162-game season.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2024
With gluten-free ingredients, there is a lot of variation in grind sizes.
—Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appétit, 15 Mar. 2024
Lola makes no sense to begin with — why does a social media star need to bother with the grind of endless photo ops?
—Alison Herman, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024
On the music side, the grind doesn’t stop as Kash Doll is hard at work finishing up her sophomore album.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 14 Mar. 2024
But my staff can't be in that entrepreneurial grind with me.
—Anne Lackey, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
Verb
Some people grind the bugs up and mix the powder into bread or use it to garnish the rim of a drink glass, like salt on a margarita.
—Koh Ewe, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
The sharp edge of the blade works to delicately chop and puree softer foods, while the duller edge is designed to grind through spices and harder, more durable foods.
—Jack Byram, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Apr. 2024
That’s often part of the fun with Destiny, though; Bungie adds a broken gun or ability, and players grind for hours to feel ultrapowerful.
—Tom Warren, The Verge, 9 Apr. 2024
After decades of grinding, most people aspire to one day be able to kick up their feet (preferably at a holiday home by the beach) and retire.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Europe, 5 Apr. 2024
That’s all horses--t. That’s the part that grinds me the most.
—Detroit Free Press, 2 Apr. 2024
Instead, you are told to grind to Season Rank 35 to fight Braniac to then unlock him.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
This compact appliance grinds whole beans using a conical burr grinder and then feeds them directly into a reusable filter for brewing, eliminating the need for a separate grinder.
—Moriah Mason, Southern Living, 5 Apr. 2024
That trade came to a grinding halt last Tuesday and has yet to resume.
—Ken Roberts, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
Noun
Rock entered its noise-art phase in the seventies and eighties, with the industrial grind of such bands as Throbbing Gristle and Einstürzende Neubauten.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
Read the full Libra Daily Horoscope Scorpio (October 23 - November 21)
Is the daily grind becoming chore-like?
—USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024
Corrupt local officials, clueless charity bosses, the daily grind of cajoling poor people to try something new without pissing them off.
—Leif Wenar, WIRED, 27 Mar. 2024
Entering this offseason fully healthy, understanding the role expected of him, Conforto rededicated himself to building up his endurance for the grind of a 162-game season.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2024
With gluten-free ingredients, there is a lot of variation in grind sizes.
—Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appétit, 15 Mar. 2024
Lola makes no sense to begin with — why does a social media star need to bother with the grind of endless photo ops?
—Alison Herman, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024
On the music side, the grind doesn’t stop as Kash Doll is hard at work finishing up her sophomore album.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 14 Mar. 2024
But my staff can't be in that entrepreneurial grind with me.
—Anne Lackey, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grind.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near grind
Cite this Entry
“Grind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grind. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
grind
1 of 2 verb
ground
ˈgrau̇nd
; grinding
; 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 noun1
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
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