grokked; grokking

transitive verb

: to understand profoundly and intuitively

Did you know?

Grok may be the only English word that derives from Martian. Yes, we do mean the language of the planet Mars. No, we're not getting spacey; we've just ventured into the realm of science fiction. Grok was introduced in Robert A. Heinlein's 1961 science fiction novel Stranger in a Strange Land. The book's main character, Valentine Michael Smith, is a Martian-raised human who comes to Earth as an adult, bringing with him words from his native tongue and a unique perspective on the strange ways of earthlings. Grok was quickly adopted by the youth culture of America and has since peppered the vernacular of those who grok it.

Examples of grok in a Sentence

the eternal struggle of the human race to grok its place in the grand scheme of the universe
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That doesn’t grok with previous estimates of the moon’s ice, which suggested a thin layer covering a thick ocean. Isaac Schultz / Gizmodo, Quartz, 24 Mar. 2024 The irony is how the people who grok Enlightenment still manage to remain so un-Enlightened about the people who don't. Chris Mooney, Discover Magazine, 11 Aug. 2011

Word History

Etymology

coined by Robert A. Heinlein †1988 American author

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of grok was in 1961

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Grok.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grok. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!