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
Fran Hoepfner, The Atlantic, 16 Aug. 2024
In fact, the guy who grunted at me was the Qanon Shaman.
—Leah Feiger, WIRED, 8 Aug. 2024
Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 13 Sep. 2024
After all, pain demands the kinds of human expression that are the most spontaneous and the least composed: grunts, cries, pleas for help.
—Walt Hunter, The Atlantic, 3 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for grunt 
Verb
Like the crew of the Nostromo from Alien, the group in Alien: Romulus consists of working-class misfits, grunts on a far-off base who have lost their family members to mining accidents or disease.
—Fran Hoepfner, The Atlantic, 16 Aug. 2024
In fact, the guy who grunted at me was the Qanon Shaman.
—Leah Feiger, WIRED, 8 Aug. 2024
Noun
The new 164-footer, christened Spitfire on account of her grunt, pairs a sleek, sporty, and somewhat utilitarian exterior with a luxurious, amenity-plenty interior.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 13 Sep. 2024
After all, pain demands the kinds of human expression that are the most spontaneous and the least composed: grunts, cries, pleas for help.
—Walt Hunter, The Atlantic, 3 Sep. 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 2 Oct. 2024.
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