1
: a thin porridge
2
3
: something that lacks substance or significance
the argument was thin gruel
Examples of gruel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The producer followed up a day later with a memo criticizing his star for over-stirring the gruel in a breakfast scene.
—
Peter Bart, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2024
Taro and millet have got scarce, and since there’s hardly any rice left the gruel is thin.
—Hiromi Kawakami, The New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2024
As the government eliminated private property and food became scarce, rice gruel became a staple and people began eating insects, bats, and even poisonous fruits.
—Shamilee Vellu, Travel + Leisure, 2 Aug. 2024
His only diversion was to make pictures using the hard bits of grain collected from the meager gruel his jailers gave him.
—Adam Nossiter, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gruel 
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Peter Bart, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2024
Taro and millet have got scarce, and since there’s hardly any rice left the gruel is thin.
—Hiromi Kawakami, The New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2024
As the government eliminated private property and food became scarce, rice gruel became a staple and people began eating insects, bats, and even poisonous fruits.
—Shamilee Vellu, Travel + Leisure, 2 Aug. 2024
His only diversion was to make pictures using the hard bits of grain collected from the meager gruel his jailers gave him.
—Adam Nossiter, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gruel
Dictionary Entries Near gruel
Cite this Entry
“Gruel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gruel. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gruel
noun
gru·el
ˈgrü-əl 
: a thin food made by boiling cereal (as oatmeal or cornmeal) in water or milk
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