noun
Common
grinding
GRYND-ihng
Grinding (noun) means the action of crushing or wearing something down through friction. Example: “The grinding of gears meant the transmission needed repair.”
noun
1
The action of crushing or wearing something down through friction.
"The grinding of gears meant the transmission needed repair."
"The grinding of coffee beans filled the kitchen with a lovely smell."
"Constant grinding of the teeth at night can damage them over time."
adj
1
Relentlessly exhausting or burdensome.
"They endured years of grinding poverty before things improved."
"A week of filled with grinding toil."
"Her grinding schedule left her too tired to enjoy the weekends."
"The grinding routine of night shifts slowly wore him down."
"I saw none of the grinding poverty to which I had become inured, no beggars, no one passed out in the streets or homeless people forced to camp out in parks and doorways."
— John Kyper, Cuba: A Little Sex, No Drugs, and Lotsa Rock 'n Roll (1983)
How to use grinding
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the act/sound of grinding, or (as an adjective) something exhaustingly relentless.
Common pairings
grinding poverty
grinding halt
grinding noise
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like grinding.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- grindings
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The _____ of gears meant the transmission needed repair.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English gryndynge; on the surface this analyses as grind plus -ing.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for grinding
See all rhymes for grinding →Frequently asked questions
What does “grinding” mean?
The word “grinding” means the action of crushing or wearing something down through friction. In plain terms, either the act/sound of grinding, or (as an adjective) something exhaustingly relentless.
How do you pronounce “grinding”?
“Grinding” is pronounced GRYND-ihng (/ˈɡɹaɪnd.ɪŋ/ in IPA).
How do you use “grinding” in a sentence?
Here is “grinding” used in a sentence: “The grinding of gears meant the transmission needed repair.”
What part of speech is “grinding”?
Depending on how it is used, “grinding” can be a noun and an adjective.
Is “grinding” a common word?
“Grinding” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “grinding” have?
“Grinding” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the action of crushing or wearing something down through friction.
What is the difference between 'grinding' and 'crushing'?
'Grinding' is the action of wearing something down through friction into small particles or powder. 'Crushing' is pressing or squeezing something out of shape with force. Grinding rubs material away, while crushing flattens or breaks it under pressure.
What are common collocations with 'grinding'?
As an adjective meaning relentlessly wearing, 'grinding' often pairs with words such as 'grinding poverty', 'grinding halt', and 'grinding routine'. Each phrase suggests something slow, heavy, and exhausting.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include grinding:
