grind

[ grahynd ]

verb (used with object)

, ground or (Rare) grind·ed; grind·ing.

1. to wear, smooth, or sharpen by abrasion or friction; whet:

   to grind a lens.

2. to reduce to fine particles, as by pounding or crushing; bray, triturate, or pulverize.

   Synonyms: pound, comminute, powder, crush

3. to oppress, torment, or crush:

   to grind minimum-wage employees.

   Synonyms: maltreat, persecute, afflict, plague

4. to rub harshly or gratingly; grate together; grit:

   to grind one's teeth.

   Synonyms: abrade

5. to operate by turning a crank:

   to grind a hand organ.

6. to produce by crushing or abrasion:

   to grind flour.

7. Slang. to annoy; irritate; irk:

   It really grinds me when he's late.

verb (used without object)

, ground or (Rare) grind·ed; grind·ing.

1. to perform the operation of reducing to fine particles.
2. to rub harshly; grate.
3. to be or become ground.
4. to be polished or sharpened by friction.
5. Informal. to work or study laboriously (often followed by away ):

   He was grinding away at his algebra.

6. 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.

7. Slang. (in a dance) to rotate the hips in a suggestive manner. Compare bump ( def 12 ).

noun

1. the act of grinding.
2. a grinding sound.
3. a grade of particle fineness into which a substance is ground:

   The coffee is available in various grinds for different coffee makers.

4. laborious, usually uninteresting work:

   Copying all the footnotes was a grind.

5. Informal. an excessively diligent student.
6. Slang. a dance movement in which the hips are rotated in a suggestive or erotic manner. Compare bump ( def 21 ).

verb phrase

1. 1. to produce in a routine or mechanical way:

      to grind out magazine stories.

   2. to extinguish by rubbing the lighted end against a hard surface:

      to grind out a cigarette.

grind

/ ɡraɪnd /

verb

1. to reduce or be reduced to small particles by pounding or abrading

   to grind corn

   to grind flour

2. tr to smooth, sharpen, or polish by friction or abrasion

   to grind a knife

3. to scrape or grate together (two things, esp the teeth) with a harsh rasping sound or (of such objects) to be scraped together
4. trfoll byout to speak or say (something) in a rough voice
5. troften foll bydown to hold down; oppress; tyrannize
6. tr to operate (a machine) by turning a handle
7. trfoll byout to produce in a routine or uninspired manner

   he ground out his weekly article for the paper

8. trfoll byout to continue to play in a dull or insipid manner

   the band only ground out old tunes all evening

9. troften foll byinto to instil (facts, information, etc) by persistent effort

   they ground into the recruits the need for vigilance

10. informal.
    intr to study or work laboriously
11. intr to dance erotically by rotating the pelvis (esp in the phrase bump and grind )

noun

1. informal.
   laborious or routine work or study
2. slang.
   a person, esp a student, who works excessively hard
3. a specific grade of pulverization, as of coffee beans

   coarse grind

4. slang.
   the act of sexual intercourse
5. a dance movement involving an erotic rotation of the pelvis
6. the act or sound of grinding

Derived Forms

• ˈgrindingly, adverb

Other Words From

• grinda·ble adjective
• grinda·bili·ty noun
• grinding·ly adverb
• re·grind verb reground regrinding
• un·grinda·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of grind¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of grind¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with grind , also see ax to grind ; mills of the gods grind slowly .

Example Sentences

“Being on top is a grind,” Davis told The Times in 2022.

From Los Angeles Times

Col Yevgeny Sasyko, a former head of strategic communications with Ukraine’s general staff, said Russia places “powerful jaws” around the flanks of a city that slowly “grind though” defences until they collapse.

From BBC

But EPA’s funding remained essentially flat, and inflation continued to grind down its purchasing power and capacity.

From Science Magazine

“I think you get into a recess scenario where they grind the Senate to a halt and are refusing to allow regular order move forward and confirm folks,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told HuffPost.

From Salon

They relish conflict, but conflict drives away potential allies, sows chaos, and can often grind the gears of their agenda.

From Salon

Related Words

• grate
• pulverize
• reduce
• scrape