Illustration of grunt
- grunt 2
grunted; grunting; grunts
: to utter a grunt
: to utter with a grunt
grunter
noun
plural grunts
1
a
: the deep short sound characteristic of a hog
b
: a similar sound
2
[from the noise it makes when taken from the water]
: any of a family (Haemulidae synonym Pomadasyidae) of chiefly tropical marine bony fishes
3
: a dessert made by dropping biscuit dough on top of boiling berries and steaming
blueberry grunt
4
a
: a U.S. army or marine foot soldier especially in the Vietnam War
b
: one who does routine unglamorous work
—often used attributively
grunt work
Examples of grunt in a Sentence
Verb
The workers were grunting with effort as they lifted the heavy furniture.
She grunted a few words in reply, then turned and walked away.
Noun
the grunt of a pig
I could hear the grunts of the movers as they lifted the heavy furniture.
He answered her with a grunt.
He was a grunt who worked his way up to become an officer.
He's just a grunt in the attorney's office.
Recent Examples on the Web
Stephen Maher, TIME, 15 Feb. 2025
Paired alongside Shakespeare’s lines about grunting and sweating under a weary life, even the non-playable background extras seem imbued with a soul.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025
Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
The narrator is flailing, doing grunt work after a mysterious event has turned the world into a wasteland.
—Grace Byron, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grunt
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Verb
The elephant is now decidedly less friendly, and is doing far more than twitching and grunting.
—Stephen Maher, TIME, 15 Feb. 2025
Paired alongside Shakespeare’s lines about grunting and sweating under a weary life, even the non-playable background extras seem imbued with a soul.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025
Noun
Wilson needed someone to handle grunt work while learning the business-buying process.
—Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
The narrator is flailing, doing grunt work after a mysterious event has turned the world into a wasteland.
—Grace Byron, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grunt
Articles Related to grunt
Cite this Entry
“Grunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grunt. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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