# grinding

Pronunciation: US say "GRYND-ing" /ˈɡɹaɪnd.ɪŋ/; UK

## Verb

1. Present participle and gerund of grind. — present participle and gerund of grind
   - Simple: Present participle of grind. Use this -ing form when the action is happening now or as the name of the action.
   - _The workers were grinding the corn between two heavy stones._
   - _Grinding the spices by hand released a far stronger aroma._

## Noun

2. The action of crushing things together into small particles, or the sound produced by that action.
   - Simple: The crushing of something into small bits, or the sound that crushing makes.
   - _The grinding of the millstones echoed across the courtyard._
   - _Hours of grinding reduced the grain to a fine, pale powder._
5. Repeatedly doing the same quest or in-game activity in order to build up points or wealth.
   - Simple: Doing the same game task over and over to gain points or money.
   - _Players complained that the grinding made the game feel like a chore._
   - _Hours of grinding earned her enough gold for the best gear._
6. The act of carrying on with the tiring, monotonous routine of daily work. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: The boring, tiring routine of everyday work.
   - _After two weeks off, the grinding of the nine-to-five felt heavier than ever._
   - _The grinding of commuting and deadlines slowly drained her enthusiasm._
7. A form of dance in which two people rub their bodies closely together in time with the music.
   - Simple: A dance where two people press and rub their bodies together.
   - _The grinding on the crowded dance floor matched the heavy beat._
   - _Some clubs discourage grinding that gets too explicit._
8. The action of working a piece of material with an abrasive to change its size, shape, and surface finish.
   - Simple: Using a rough wheel or tool to shape and smooth a part.
   - _The grinding of the casting brought it to within a fraction of a millimeter._
   - _Surface grinding gave the plate a mirror-smooth finish._

## Adjective

3. Relentlessly taxing and burdensome, demanding so much that it exhausts.
   - Simple: So hard and tiring that it slowly wears a person down.
   - _Decades of grinding labor in the mines broke his health._
   - _The grinding demands of the campaign wore down every volunteer._
4. Relating to or producing the harsh, scraping sound of two hard surfaces rubbing against each other.
   - Simple: Making a harsh, scraping noise, like hard things rubbing together.
   - _The grinding screech of the brakes set everyone's teeth on edge._
   - _A low grinding rumble signaled that the machine was failing._

## Adjective

9. Crushing and oppressive; bearing down with overwhelming force. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Crushing and overwhelming, pressing down hard on people.

## Origin

Inherited from Middle English gryndynge, and by surface analysis formed from grind plus the suffix -ing.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/grinding (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).