grind

GRYND/ˈɡɹaɪnd/

Verbgrinds, grinding, ground

Noun pluralgrinds

23 meanings of grind

Practice

1
verbtransitive
To crush something into very small pieces or powder, or to be crushed or worn down this way.
Like crushing a cracker into crumbs with your fingers.
She used a stone to grind the wheat into flour.
The machine grinds coffee beans every morning in the café.
UsageThe past is ground: she ground the beans. Say grind something into powder.
Similarcrush, mill, pound, pulverize, powder
2
nouncountable or uncountable
Hard, boring work that goes on and on, like a daily routine.
Like washing a huge pile of dishes that never seems to end.
Filling out all those forms was a real grind.
Studying for finals felt like an endless grind.
UsagePeople talk about the daily grind: the same hard work every day.
Similardrudgery, slog, chore, toil
Note
3
scrape noisilyverbintransitive
To move slowly and roughly, rubbing hard against something with a harsh sound.
Like two rough stones scraping hard against each other.
The old gears grind whenever the machine starts up.
The train wheels ground against the rails as it slowed.
UsageSay something grinds to a halt when it slowly stops.
Similargrate, scrape, screech, rasp
4
nouncountable or uncountable
The action of crushing something to powder or making it sharp by rubbing.
Like the rubbing that turns chalk into dust.
Give the coffee beans a quick grind before you brew them.
The dull knife needs a grind on the wheel to get sharp again.
UsageSay give the beans a quick grind.
Similarmilling, crushing
5
verbtransitive
To make something smooth, sharp, or a certain shape by rubbing it on a rough surface.
Like rubbing sandpaper on wood to take off the rough top layer.
He grinds the rust off the old gate.
You can grind the rough edge until it is flat.
Similarsharpen, hone, file, smooth, polish
Note
6
work hardverbslangintransitive
To work or study very hard without stopping.
Like an ant working all day to carry food back home.
He grinds all week to pay for college.
If you want to pass, you have to grind every night.
UsageSay you grind through hard work.
Similarslog, toil, labor, hustle, graft
Oppositeslack, loaf
Note
7
repeat in gamesverbtransitive
To do the same task again and again in a game to reach a goal.
Like doing the same drill over and over until you finally win a prize.
Players grind for hours to level up their characters.
She had to grind the same quest to get rare loot.
UsageSay you grind for gold or grind a level.
Similarfarm
Note
8
oppressverbtransitive
To keep people down and wear them out by treating them harshly.
Like a heavy stone pressing down until something is crushed flat.
Years of hard work and low pay can grind people down.
Years of hard labor ground the workers down.
UsageUsually said as grind people down.
Similaroppress, crush, persecute, tyrannize
9
verbslangintransitive
To dance by moving your hips in a sexy way, often pressed against someone.
They started to grind on the crowded dance floor.
He grinds against his partner to the beat.
UsageSay people grind together on the dance floor.
10
rub bodiesverbslangintransitive
To rub your body against someone else's for sexual feeling.
They kissed in bed and began to grind their bodies together.
He ground against her on the crowded train, and she pulled away.
UsageUsually said as grind against someone.
Similarrub
Note
11
churn outverbtransitive
To make something in a steady, boring way, like a machine that never stops.
Like a printer that keeps pushing out page after page the same way.
Factories grind out the same plastic toys all day long.
The studio ground out sequel after sequel for years.
UsageUsually said as grind out something.
Similarchurn, crank, pump
12
a board tricknouncountable or uncountable
A skateboard or snowboard trick where you slide along an edge or rail.
Like sliding along a railing on the soles of your shoes.
She held the grind all the way down the rail.
His grind across the ledge looked effortless.
Similarslide
13
metal musicnoununcountableabbreviationclipping
Short for grindcore. It's a fast, extreme style of heavy metal music.
The band plays fast, brutal grind at every show.
He's really into grind these days.
Note

Less common meanings

14
how fine (coffee)nouncountable or uncountable
How fine or coarse coffee beans have been crushed.
Like the difference between table salt and big rock salt.
Espresso needs a very fine grind.
Use a coarse grind for a French press.
UsageSay a fine grind or a coarse grind.
Note
15
minced meatnouncountable or uncountable
Material that has been crushed into powder or small bits.
Like flour, which is wheat crushed into powder.
The butcher pressed the fresh beef grind into thick patties.
This chili is made with a chunky grind of pork and beef.
Similarmince
16
verbintransitive
To slide a skateboard or snowboard along an edge or rail.
Like sliding along a low wall while balancing on a board.
He likes to grind along the curb outside the shop.
She grinds down the handrail every time she visits the park.
UsageSay a skater grinds along a rail.
Similarslide
Note
17
annoyverbslangtransitive
To annoy or irritate someone, especially in a way that builds up.
Like a small stone in your shoe that bothers you all day.
His constant bragging really grinds me.
Slow drivers grind him more than anything else.
UsagePeople also say it grinds my gears.
Similarannoy, irritate, bug, irk, rile
Note
18
drill inverbtransitive
To teach something by repeating it again and again until it sticks.
Like learning a song so well that you can sing it without thinking.
Teachers grind the times tables into students with daily drills.
The coach ground the basic moves into the team week after week.
UsageSay grind facts into students.
Similardrill, drum, hammer, instill
19
turn a handleverbtransitive
To make a machine work by turning its handle round and round.
Like turning the handle on a toy to make it move.
At the fair, a man in a striped vest ground an old barrel organ.
At the museum, children can grind the old hand organ.
Similarcrank, turn
20
keen studentnounarchaiccountable or uncountable
A person who studies very hard, often more than others.
Like a student who would rather read books than go to a party.
Everyone in the dorm knew him as a real grind who studied all night.
The class grind never missed a single lecture.
Similarswot
Note
21
verbdatedtransitive
To make a computer program tidy by spacing and lining up the code automatically.
Similarformat, indent
Note
22
verbdialectalHawaii
To eat, especially in a hungry or eager way.
23
noun
A group whale hunt held by the people of the Faroe Islands, following old custom.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of grind apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

From Old English grindan, going back through older Germanic forms meaning to grind.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

English grind derives from Old English grindan. en.wiktionary.org
Old English grindan descends from older Germanic forms meaning to grind. en.wiktionary.org