Basic+ Word of the Day: grunt

grunt (noun, verb) past tense: grunted

Grunt means ‘to make the deep throaty sound that a pig makes.’

• When the pigs grunted, we knew it was time to feed them.
• The old man grunts every time he stands up.

A grunt is the sound of grunting.

• The mother heard a grunt from her teenager when she tried to wake him.

Don't confuse it with

Do you know the difference between a grunt and a groan? For grunt, think of a pig making sharp, snorting sounds. A groan is more of a slow, mournful sound.

Common uses

a grunt: a low-level soldier or worker of any kind. Example: “Jessica’s started as a grunt and soon became a manager.”

grunt work: repetitive work. Example: “Data input is the purest form of grunt work I’ve ever done.”

In pop culture

You Tube has something for everyone. Your hard-working Word of the Day team found this video of “Every Michael Jackson Grunt.” Enjoy!

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There are other meanings of grunt.