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
Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 3 July 2025
There were grunting high fives as, one after another, all cleared the exposure.
—Andrew Kay, Harpers Magazine, 28 May 2025
Tom Roland, Billboard, 10 July 2025
Refinements since then pushed the output to 300 hp and 365 lb-ft, offering a mild edge over the outgoing engine, but a new six-speed automatic replacing the old four-speed one meant the SUV could make better use of the grunt on hand.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for grunt
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Verb
For more than a minute, audio captures the sounds of a struggle: grunting, choking.
—Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 3 July 2025
There were grunting high fives as, one after another, all cleared the exposure.
—Andrew Kay, Harpers Magazine, 28 May 2025
Noun
Challenge a good ol’ boy on a tractor to diagram a sentence and the reaction would likely amount to a short grunt.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 10 July 2025
Refinements since then pushed the output to 300 hp and 365 lb-ft, offering a mild edge over the outgoing engine, but a new six-speed automatic replacing the old four-speed one meant the SUV could make better use of the grunt on hand.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for grunt
Cite this Entry
“Grunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grunt. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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