- a variation of grille.
grill
1 Americannoun
-
a grated utensil for broiling meat, fish, vegetables, etc., over a fire; gridiron.
-
a dish of grilled meat, fish, etc.
-
Philately. a group of small pyramidal marks, embossed or impressed in parallel rows on certain U.S. and Peruvian stamps of the late 19th century to prevent erasure of cancellation marks.
verb (used with object)
-
grills,
present (3rd person singular)
-
grilled,
past participle, past
-
grilling
present participle
-
to broil on a gridiron or other apparatus over or before a fire.
- Synonyms:
- barbecue
-
to subject to severe and persistent cross-examination or questioning.
- Synonyms:
- probe, interrogate
-
to torment with heat.
- Synonyms:
- torture
-
to mark with a series of parallel bars like those of a grill.
verb (used without object)
-
grills,
present (3rd person singular)
-
grilled,
past participle, past
-
grilling
present participle
noun
verb
-
Usual US and Canadian word: broil. to cook (meat, fish, etc) by direct heat, as under a grill or over a hot fire, or (of meat, fish, etc) to be cooked in this way
-
(tr; usually passive) to torment with or as if with extreme heat
the travellers were grilled by the scorching sun
-
informal (tr) to subject to insistent or prolonged questioning
noun
-
a device with parallel bars of thin metal on which meat, fish, etc, may be cooked by a fire; gridiron
-
a device on a cooker that radiates heat downwards for grilling meat, fish, etc
-
food cooked by grilling
-
See grillroom
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
grillsimple
-
grillssimple
-
have grilledperfect
-
has grilledperfect
-
am grillingprogressive
-
are grillingprogressive
-
is grillingprogressive
-
have been grillingperfect progressive
-
has been grillingperfect progressive
Past
-
grilledsimple
-
had grilledperfect
-
was grillingprogressive
-
were grillingprogressive
-
had been grillingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of grill
1660–70; 1890–95 grill 1 for def. 6; < French gril gridiron ≪ Latin crātīculum, creātīculō, diminutive of crātis wickerwork, hurdle. See grille
Explanation
Not all grilling involves fire and delicious food. Sometimes, to grill means to ask a person really intense questions, like when you suspect them of doing something wrong and you want to make them confess the truth. Ever seen a film where a police officer puts a bright light in a criminal’s face and screams, “Did you do it?” That’s how you grill someone. You have to be tough on him, and not let him off the hook too easily. Being grilled means you are in the “hot seat,” and it’ll feel like you’re cooking from such a close examination. Better to grill than be grilled, but if you get caught — think of an alibi, quick!
Vocabulary lists containing grill
Blanch, Poach, and Scald: Cooking Methods
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Poet X
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Inquire Within: Synoynms for "Ask"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
I mean, Hasan, every podcast or debate I go into over the past few months, people try to grill me on you, and they’re like, “Do you disavow Hasan Piker?”
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026
My first sail on Lake Michigan was quieter and more relaxing than I expected, but my favorite detail was the tiny gas grill attached to the rail of the Catalina 27.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
"This summer has become so hot that I feel like meat on the grill," the app's developer Yu Min-jun told BBC Korean.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
Instead, I use multiple electric fans to create a cross breeze, often sticking my sweaty, flushed face directly in front of the fan grill.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
All my favorite things: creamed chicken, steak on the grill, fried rockfish, chocolate chip cookies.
From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings
The prime minister told reporters single-use grills had been behind a number of recent blazes and people should not be using them "at this moment in time".
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Hunched over sizzling grills and shrouded in smoke, trainees at the Yueyang Barbecue Academy in southern China roast skewer after skewer of succulent beef tendon, perfecting the skills that could land them a restaurant job.
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
This July 4, millions of Americans will fire up their grills and cook plenty of burgers and steaks.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
He cooks the players omelets before important matches and grills steaks after huge wins.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026
The McDonalds fired all their carhops in 1948, closed their restaurant, installed larger grills, and reopened three months later with a radically new method of preparing food.
From "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal" by Eric Schlosser
This ageworthy bottling delivers big acidity, with notes of lime zest, white blossom, tangerine and grilled lemon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
When spending the day at his coach’s house, Smith says, Luke would bring his own home-made lunch — usually, grilled chicken and rice with vegetables.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
I order my tacos with avocado, a side of cebollitas asadas — bulb onions grilled until tender and charred — and a large jamaica.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
South Korea's national police chief was grilled by lawmakers at an emergency National Assembly hearing on Monday, during which he admitted that "there is a fault in the system".
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
The Americans flew Hayhanen back to the States, where FBI agents locked him in a hotel room and grilled him for seven days straight.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
The trailer then cuts to Fielder grilling Evans about whether he was afraid of being scammed, considering that he comes from a rich family.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
With prices for other types of beef at record highs, Wagyu has a better value proposition—and with grilling at its late-summer peak and tailgate season ahead, there are many opportunities to try it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
Summer also happens to be peak grilling season.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
Facing his last weekly grilling from MPs in parliament, Starmer said he wanted to see the next leader of his centre-left Labour party succeed.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
After three straight days of grilling, Pattillo finally decided to give me Deborah’s phone number.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
