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
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The Poet X
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Inquire Within: Synoynms for "Ask"
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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:
It was inside that kitchen that the boxing champion filmed commercials promoting his namesake grill, the kitchen appliance that helped turn him into a household name beyond the world of sports.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026
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
As with all Sphere acts, that visual wattage can absolutely grip you, or it can feel using a flamethrower to grill.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
You can caramelize the corn in a skillet, but if you prefer it with a late-summer-smoky-char, cook the shucked cobs on the grill before cutting off the kernels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Waiting just inside the door, Jonathan kept his eyes on the far end of the large, dim room, where the white glow of the keeper’s shirt moved behind the grill.
From "The Fighting Ground" by Avi
Possibly singed and mostly sandy, they storm the Mediterranean and return to their grills wet, steaming, and triumphant.
From Salon ● Aug. 11, 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
Gas grills heat up faster than charcoal and are easier to control, but they sacrifice some of the smoky flavor that makes live-fire cooking so distinctive.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
“Tasty rats” is what Gramps calls them when he grills up venison steaks.
From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman
I started with Pacific Foods chicken miso ramen broth, adding extra miso and coconut cream for richness, then used chicken I’d already grilled earlier in the week for protein.
From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026
Puente announced his decision at the end of a lengthy congressional session on Tuesday evening in which he had outlined new rail safety measures and been grilled by the opposition.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
As we left full of grilled fish and stone pot bibimbap at 3 a.m.,
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
He was so stricken when a local restaurant mistakenly grilled his food in butter, instead of oil, that he was unconscious when the ambulance arrived.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
Petra was pushing her grilled cheese back and forth across her plate.
From "Chasing Vermeer" by Blue Balliett
Have a listen while you’re caramelizing or grilling the corn.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
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
"Don't worry about the dog, just answer the question," replied journalist Sarah Ferguson, who was grilling Joyce on his party leader Pauline Hanson's recent meeting with far-right British figurehead Tommy Robinson.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
Rapport matters, and if you don’t have confidence in this guy when you are done politely grilling him like a hamburger on the Fourth of July, move on to someone who does.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
I would almost swear to you I could smell the aroma of grilling steaks wafting up to us on the evening air.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
