gruel

noun

gru·​el ˈgrü-əl 

1

: a thin porridge

2

[from to get one's gruel to accept punishment] chiefly British : punishment

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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English grewel, from Anglo-French gruel, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English grūt grout

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

gruel

noun

gru·​el ˈgrü-əl 

: a thin food made by boiling cereal (as oatmeal or cornmeal) in water or milk