grind
to wear, smooth, or sharpen by abrasion or friction; whet: to grind a lens.
to reduce to fine particles, as by pounding or crushing; bray, triturate, or pulverize.
to oppress, torment, or crush: to grind minimum-wage employees.
to rub harshly or gratingly; grate together; grit: to grind one's teeth.
to operate by turning a crank: to grind a hand organ.
to produce by crushing or abrasion: to grind flour.
to perform the operation of reducing to fine particles.
to rub harshly; grate.
to be or become ground.
to be polished or sharpened by friction.
Informal. to work or study laboriously (often followed by away): He was grinding away at his algebra.
Digital Technology. (in a video game) to perform a monotonous task repeatedly in order to advance a character to a higher level or rank: You have to grind for hours before you can embark on the main story mission.
Slang. (in a dance) to rotate the hips in a suggestive manner.: Compare bump (def. 12).
the act of grinding.
a grinding sound.
a grade of particle fineness into which a substance is ground: The coffee is available in various grinds for different coffee makers.
laborious, usually uninteresting work: Copying all the footnotes was a grind.
Informal. an excessively diligent student.
Slang. a dance movement in which the hips are rotated in a suggestive or erotic manner.: Compare bump (def. 21).
grind out,
to produce in a routine or mechanical way: to grind out magazine stories.
to extinguish by rubbing the lighted end against a hard surface: to grind out a cigarette.
Origin of grind
1Other words for grind
Other words from grind
- grind·a·ble, adjective
- grind·a·bil·i·ty, noun
- grind·ing·ly, adverb
- re·grind, verb, re·ground, re·grind·ing.
- un·grind·a·ble, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use grind in a sentence
As the months at home wear on, it’s easy to feel the grind of cooking for everyone at every meal.
As stay-at-home restrictions rise, here are ways to cope | Washington Post Staff, Elizabeth Chang, Mari-Jane Williams, Becky Krystal, Kendra Nichols, Caitlin Moore, Stephanie Merry, Missy Rosenberg, Katherine Lee | December 2, 2020 | Washington PostIf someone is eyeballing a downhill bike but says their favorite part of the ride is the uphill grind, that’s a significant indication about the rig that will make them happy.
Your Brain Is Tricking You into Buying the Wrong Gear | Heather Hansman | November 24, 2020 | Outside OnlineIt was always easier to say that the recovery will be a slow grind than to know the near-term trajectory.
The Economy Won’t Be Back To Normal Until 2022 Or Later, According To Our Survey Of Economists | Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux (Amelia.Thomson-DeVeaux@abc.com) | October 19, 2020 | FiveThirtyEightThe grind chamber is also made of a clearer plastic and is lit up so you can see the grinds better.
Gear to make every day feel like National Coffee Day | PopSci Commerce Team | September 29, 2020 | Popular-ScienceWith the AeroPress, you won’t find any grinds in your coffee and it is also super easy to clean up.
Gear to make every day feel like National Coffee Day | PopSci Commerce Team | September 29, 2020 | Popular-Science
He foamed, he grinned, he grinded the remnants of his teeth; and swore that Stuart was at the bottom of the whole plot.
The Heroine | Eaton Stannard BarrettHobbie grinded and gnashed his teeth, as, walking round the fastness, he could devise no means of making a forcible entry.
The Black Dwarf | Sir Walter Scott"Spare me," muttered Warwick, in a low voice, and between his grinded teeth.
The Last Of The Barons, Complete | Edward Bulwer-LyttonIf I hadn't come to the mill the miller would never have grinded me!
It Is Never Too Late to Mend | Charles ReadeWhen grinded dry, it has to be afterwards mixed with water, and well moulded up with the feet for a long time.
British Dictionary definitions for grind
/ (ɡraɪnd) /
to reduce or be reduced to small particles by pounding or abrading: to grind corn; to grind flour
(tr) to smooth, sharpen, or polish by friction or abrasion: to grind a knife
to scrape or grate together (two things, esp the teeth) with a harsh rasping sound or (of such objects) to be scraped together
(tr foll by out) to speak or say (something) in a rough voice
(tr often foll by down) to hold down; oppress; tyrannize
(tr) to operate (a machine) by turning a handle
(tr foll by out) to produce in a routine or uninspired manner: he ground out his weekly article for the paper
(tr foll by out) to continue to play in a dull or insipid manner: the band only ground out old tunes all evening
(tr often foll by into) to instil (facts, information, etc) by persistent effort: they ground into the recruits the need for vigilance
(intr) informal to study or work laboriously
(intr) mainly US to dance erotically by rotating the pelvis (esp in the phrase bump and grind)
informal laborious or routine work or study
slang, mainly US a person, esp a student, who works excessively hard
a specific grade of pulverization, as of coffee beans: coarse grind
British slang the act of sexual intercourse
mainly US a dance movement involving an erotic rotation of the pelvis
the act or sound of grinding
Origin of grind
1Derived forms of grind
- grindingly, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with grind
In addition to the idiom beginning with grind
- grind to a halt
also see:
- ax to grind
- mills of the gods grind slowly
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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