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
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
The report said affected vehicles could make a grinding noise when the damage occurs.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
If their car is affected, drivers may notice grinding noises, vibration, or noise when turning or hitting bumps in the road.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
Commercial oat flour is ground from oats that haven’t been processed much beyond removing their outer husks and, sometimes, a light toasting to prevent them from going rancid too quickly.
—Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appétit, 15 Mar. 2024
For the past 40 years, Davis has been grinding with that level of persistence, first in guest appearances in soaps like The Bold and the Beautiful and Passions before working his way up to bigger roles like the Showtime drama Ray Donovan.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2024
The pink pastel icons won’t be lost for good—they will be ground into mulch that will ultimately return to the Tidal Basin, nourishing the remaining cherry blossoms.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Mar. 2024
But the Cougars kept grinding and picked up their defensive intensity.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2024
Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 25 Mar. 2024
Among the millions looking to escape the daily grind is the Ayala family, who have chosen to spend their spring break soaking in the excitement of spring training in Arizona.
—Camille Knox, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2024
The accounting profession has long been known for its seasonal grind work, which can discourage new talent.
—Hitendra Patil, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
For years, aging Americans have looked south to Florida for their ideal retirement home to escape into retirement from their four-decade grinds in the U.S. workforce.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 20 Mar. 2024
Yes, grind like SSX Tricky or Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
In 2023, the Chiefs training camp kicked off on July 23 at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri, and their official offseason grind ran through Aug. 17, with some days open to the public (except July 19-21).
—Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 22 Feb. 2024
The former will give you more control over the coarseness of the grind, while a spice grinder will cover more ground faster.
—Carly Westerfield, Bon Appétit, 9 Mar. 2024
The next decades were a grind of incremental medical progress: A child born with CF in the ’50s could expect to live until age 5.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2024
Verb
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
The report said affected vehicles could make a grinding noise when the damage occurs.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
If their car is affected, drivers may notice grinding noises, vibration, or noise when turning or hitting bumps in the road.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
Commercial oat flour is ground from oats that haven’t been processed much beyond removing their outer husks and, sometimes, a light toasting to prevent them from going rancid too quickly.
—Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appétit, 15 Mar. 2024
For the past 40 years, Davis has been grinding with that level of persistence, first in guest appearances in soaps like The Bold and the Beautiful and Passions before working his way up to bigger roles like the Showtime drama Ray Donovan.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2024
The pink pastel icons won’t be lost for good—they will be ground into mulch that will ultimately return to the Tidal Basin, nourishing the remaining cherry blossoms.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Mar. 2024
But the Cougars kept grinding and picked up their defensive intensity.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2024
Noun
Workers are packing up their belongings and turning their backs on the constant grind of Europe’s most intense capital cities, like London, Amsterdam, and Berlin.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 25 Mar. 2024
Among the millions looking to escape the daily grind is the Ayala family, who have chosen to spend their spring break soaking in the excitement of spring training in Arizona.
—Camille Knox, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2024
The accounting profession has long been known for its seasonal grind work, which can discourage new talent.
—Hitendra Patil, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
For years, aging Americans have looked south to Florida for their ideal retirement home to escape into retirement from their four-decade grinds in the U.S. workforce.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 20 Mar. 2024
Yes, grind like SSX Tricky or Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
In 2023, the Chiefs training camp kicked off on July 23 at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri, and their official offseason grind ran through Aug. 17, with some days open to the public (except July 19-21).
—Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 22 Feb. 2024
The former will give you more control over the coarseness of the grind, while a spice grinder will cover more ground faster.
—Carly Westerfield, Bon Appétit, 9 Mar. 2024
The next decades were a grind of incremental medical progress: A child born with CF in the ’50s could expect to live until age 5.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 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 19 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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