grunt

To grunt is to make a sound similar to that of an animal. This sound has a low frequency, and it’s a sound made when someone is having difficulty, or a person is doing some kind of physical labor. A grunting sound can also express unhappiness or disapproval. A grunt sounds like this:

(Your teacher makes a grunting sound.)

• We could hear old Ralph grunting as he moved a chair up the stairs and into his apartment.
• Bina grunted a little when she saw how much money she lost on her investment.
• While watching a football game on TV, the audience can hear the players grunt as they charge forward and come into contact with each other.
• The quarterback grunted loudly as he was being tackled.
• Loud grunting noises coming from a hospital bathroom caused some concern among the nurses.
• Pigs grunt. Visit a pigpen some day and you will hear the pigs making grunting noises.

The man grunted with each swing of his hammer.

When the word "grunt" is used as a noun, it has a few different meanings. A grunt can be a sound, but it can also be a person who has a low-level occupation, usually involving some kind of labor.

• Tired of working as a grunt in a factory, Victor decided to go to college and earn a degree in information technology.
• Most of the difficult fighting was left to the grunts who formed the front lines in a battle for military control of the town. (grunt = soldier or combatant)
• The man let loose with a loud grunt as he fell to the floor.
• A soft grunt and wince of pain came from Elvira’s throat when the doctor pushed against her pelvic area.

Learn more vocabulary words here.

Published on March 7, 2018.