grind

[ grahynd ]

/ graɪnd /

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See synonyms for: grind / grinding / ground on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), ground or (Rare) grind·ed; grind·ing.

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.

Slang. to annoy; irritate; irk: It really grinds me when he's late.

verb (used without object), ground or (Rare) grind·ed; grind·ing.

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).

noun

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).

Verb Phrases

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR grind

2 crush, powder, comminute, pound.

3 plague, afflict; persecute, maltreat.

4 abrade.

See synonyms for grind on Thesaurus.com

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of grind

First recorded before 950; Middle English grinden, Old English grindan; akin to Gothic grinda-, Latin frendere “to gnash the teeth; complain”

OTHER WORDS FROM grind

grind·a·ble, adjectivegrind·a·bil·i·ty, noungrind·ing·ly, adverbre·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. 2023

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 Post
If 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 Online
It 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|FiveThirtyEight
The 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-Science

With 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 Barrett
Hobbie 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-Lytton
If I hadn't come to the mill the miller would never have grinded me!
It Is Never Too Late to Mend|Charles Reade
When grinded dry, it has to be afterwards mixed with water, and well moulded up with the feet for a long time.
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume 11|Robert Kerr

British Dictionary definitions for grind

grind

/ (ɡraɪnd) /

verb grinds, grinding or ground

to reduce or be reduced to small particles by pounding or abradingto grind corn; to grind flour

(tr) to smooth, sharpen, or polish by friction or abrasionto 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 mannerhe ground out his weekly article for the paper

(tr foll by out) to continue to play in a dull or insipid mannerthe band only ground out old tunes all evening

(tr often foll by into) to instil (facts, information, etc) by persistent effortthey 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)

noun

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 beanscoarse 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

Derived forms of grind

grindingly, adverb

Word Origin for grind

Old English grindan; related to Latin frendere, Lithuanian gréndu I rub, Low German grand sand

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

grind

In addition to the idiom beginning with grind

grind to a halt

also see:

ax to grind
mills of the gods grind slowly

grind

OTHER WORDS FOR grind

Origin of grind

OTHER WORDS FROM grind

Words related to grind

How to use grind in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for grind

Derived forms of grind

Word Origin for grind

Other Idioms and Phrases with grind