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
Synonyms
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
Longreads, 14 June 2024
The film has no dialogue or narrative voiceover, only grunting, feces flinging and enthusiastic mating.
—Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week Us, theweek, 5 Apr. 2024
Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 13 June 2024
Even the grunts in the third set — yes, the male players also grunt — feel natural and not actorly.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 1 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for grunt 
Verb
In this week’s edition: The up-and-coming sport of competitive Excel
The opioid epidemic at sea
Running away from a polygamous cult
The art of worm grunting
The complexities of using parents as content
1.
—Longreads, 14 June 2024
The film has no dialogue or narrative voiceover, only grunting, feces flinging and enthusiastic mating.
—Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week Us, theweek, 5 Apr. 2024
Noun
In the right hands and with enough support units, a low-energy grunt could be powered up to carry a deck.
—Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 13 June 2024
Even the grunts in the third set — yes, the male players also grunt — feel natural and not actorly.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 1 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for grunt
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grunt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near grunt
Cite this Entry
“Grunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grunt. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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