verb

grind

GRYND

verb

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

"She ground the coffee beans fresh every morning."

"He ground the spices into a fine powder with a mortar and pestle."

To work hard and persistently at something difficult, often for a long stretch of time.

"He's been grinding away at his thesis for months."

"She grinds every day at the gym to reach her goals."

noun

Tedious, repetitive hard work or effort.

"After years of the daily grind, she finally started her own business."

How to Use Grind

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo crush something into smaller bits, or to put in sustained, exhausting effort.

Common pairings

grind coffee the daily grind grind it out grind through work

Word Forms

ground past tense, grinded past tense, grounden past tense, grind plural, ground plural, grinded plural, grinds plural, grinds singular, grind singular, ground singular, grindest singular, groundst singular, groundest singular, grindeth singular, grinded singular

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He's been _____ away at his thesis for months.

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.

Rhymes for grind

Ind mind kind bind find wind rind lind hind blind rewind unwind

See all rhymes for grind →