plod

American  

[plod] / plɒd /

verb (used without object)

• plods,
  present (3rd person singular)
• plodded,
  past participle,  past
• plodding
  present participle

1. to walk heavily or move laboriously; trudge.

   to plod under the weight of a burden.

2. to proceed in a tediously slow manner.

   The play just plodded along in the second act.

3. to work with constant and monotonous perseverance; drudge.

   Synonyms:

   labor, moil, toil

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verb (used with object)

• plods,
  present (3rd person singular)
• plodded,
  past participle,  past
• plodding
  present participle

1. to walk heavily over or along.

noun

• plods
  plural

1. the act or a course of plodding.

2. a sound of a heavy tread.

plod British  

/ plɒd /

verb

1. to make (one's way) or walk along (a path, road, etc) with heavy usually slow steps

2. (intr) to work slowly and perseveringly

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noun

1. the act of plodding

2. the sound of slow heavy steps

3. slang a policeman

Synonym Usage

See pace ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• plodder
  noun
• ploddingness
  noun
• outplod
  verb (used with object)
• plodding
  adjective
• unplodding
  adjective
• ploddingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• plods
  plural

Participles

• plodding
  present
• plodded
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• plod
  simple
• plods
  simple
• have plodded
  perfect
• has plodded
  perfect
• am plodding
  progressive
• are plodding
  progressive
• is plodding
  progressive
• have been plodding
  perfect progressive
• has been plodding
  perfect progressive

Past

• plodded
  simple
• had plodded
  perfect
• was plodding
  progressive
• were plodding
  progressive
• had been plodding
  perfect progressive

Future

• will plod
  simple
• will have plodded
  perfect
• will be plodding
  progressive
• will have been plodding
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of plod

First recorded in 1555–65; perhaps imitative

Explanation

When you plod, you walk slowly, heavily, and deliberately. You might need to plod through the snow to get to the bus stop on time. Plod evokes a difficulty in walking — like when you trudge through mud or walk slowly up a steep hill. You might plod home at the end of a long day, or plod through an overgrown field on a hot afternoon. You can also use plod figuratively to mean "work on something boring or monotonous." The origin of plod is unknown, but it may have come from the sound of feet on the ground — the sound you make when you plod.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

plod plods plodded plodding

Likewise NEO from 1X - which recently caused a stir by launching pre-orders for its robot - was able to slowly but effectively plod around the firm's test kitchen on its soft padded feet.

From BBC ● Jan. 11, 2026

In Kirk’s name, they will continue to plod through long, grueling, nonsensical arguments about Egyptian aircraft and Emmanuel Macron, with people who are simply never going to listen.

From Slate ● Dec. 22, 2025

In trying to make media-watching “easier,” tech has slowed the process to a maddening plod.

From Salon ● May 22, 2025

For years, modular companies have vowed to revolutionize the homebuilding industry only to fail spectacularly or plod along amid technological problems and skepticism about limited designs and quality.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2025

I watch Ruby plod around the ring in endless circles, going nowhere.

From "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate

Federal support has served as a stock catalyst over the past few months as Oklo plods toward profitability.

From Barron's ● Mar. 17, 2026

There’s something conspiratorial in a song like “World on a String,” which plods forward with a slow menace, as inviting as it is eerie.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 3, 2024

Thorfinn plods along through 11th century England doing Askeladd’s bidding.

From Salon ● Dec. 23, 2023

But mostly “Next Goal Wins” just plods along, agreeable and familiar and instantly forgettable.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 14, 2023

She plods along by my side to the edge of Marlena’s dressing tent and then waits patiently as Grady and Bill untie the bottom of the sidewall from the stakes.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

We plodded through the powder, passing deer tracks as we moved, until we reached a small clearing with several promising candidates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 23, 2025

After the increasingly disastrous three “Jurassic World” movies, which were vacuums of appeal as their star Chris Pratt plodded about bemoaning his precious housebroken velociraptors, the “Jurassic” series desperately needed a shot in the arm.

From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2025

They plodded upward to establish Camp 3 at the base of the Polish Glacier, at about 19,400 feet.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 17, 2023

Donkeys hauling carts plodded along dusty streets, and schoolgirls in headscarves and long, old-fashioned coats huddled to gossip.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2023

He huddled down in his cloak and plodded off.

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin

Denton’s late-summer start date shows that Nike’s turnaround is plodding along, but will take time.

From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026

Still, the production design has imaginatively askew takes on the mundane: gridded jail cells, plodding space buses, clumsy oxygen suits that shimmy on with a satisfying squeak.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026

The long, arduous path to freedom for a man on death row is dramatized in “The Fear of 13,” a modestly affecting but plodding documentary-based play first seen at London’s prestigious Donmar Warehouse.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026

With a short season, smaller scope and much lighter tone, this could be the welcome antidote to the humorless, plodding “HotD,” and get Westeros fans excited again.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 31, 2025

By midday we found ourselves plodding into a stinging, cold, hard-blowing storm.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

• lumber
• slog
• tramp
• trudge