grind

20 synonyms for grind, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Verb — To crush or wear something down into smaller pieces through friction, such as grinding coffee beans.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

mill pound

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

crunch dig nerd

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

pulverise grate drudgery toil comminute cranch bray craunch plodding swot pulverisation donkeywork pulverization dweeb wonk

Synonyms by Meaning

1. verb

To crush or wear something down into smaller pieces through friction, such as grinding coffee beans.

“Grind the peppercorns coarsely and sprinkle them over the salad.”

mill pulverise pound grate drudgery toil comminute cranch bray crunch dig craunch

2. noun

Tedious, repetitive hard work or effort.

“The long grind of night shifts left him exhausted.”

plodding swot nerd pulverisation donkeywork mill pulverization dweeb drudgery wonk

How to use grind

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

grind coffee the daily grind grind it out grind through work

Etymology

From Old English grindan, going back to a Proto-Germanic root simply meaning "to grind" — the "hard, repetitive work" sense developed much later as a figurative extension.

Full origin of grind →

Frequently asked questions

What does “grind” mean?

The word “grind” means to crush or wear something down into smaller pieces through friction, such as grinding coffee beans. In plain terms, to crush something into smaller bits, or to put in sustained, exhausting effort.

How do you pronounce “grind”?

“Grind” is pronounced GRYND (/ˈɡɹaɪnd/ in IPA).

How do you use “grind” in a sentence?

Here is “grind” used in a sentence: “He's been grinding away at his thesis for months.”

What part of speech is “grind”?

Depending on how it is used, “grind” can be a verb and a noun.

Where does the word “grind” come from?

The word “grind” comes from Old English. From Old English grindan, going back to a Proto-Germanic root simply meaning "to grind" — the "hard, repetitive work" sense developed much later as a figurative extension.

Is “grind” a common word?

“Grind” is a fairly common word in modern English.

How many meanings does “grind” have?

“Grind” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to crush or wear something down into smaller pieces through friction, such as grinding coffee beans.

What is the difference between 'grind' and 'crush'?

To 'grind' is to wear something down into smaller pieces through friction, usually producing a powder, as with coffee beans. To 'crush' is to press or squeeze something out of shape, often flattening it, without necessarily reducing it to particles. Grinding involves rubbing; crushing involves pressure.

What is the difference between 'grind' and 'mince'?

Both reduce food into small pieces, but 'grind' wears material down through friction into particles or powder, while 'mince' chops it into very small bits, as with minced meat. American English often says meat is 'ground', whereas British English tends to say 'minced'.

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mill pound dig nerd crunch bray comminute wonk grate toil dweeb drudgery

Nearby words

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