Grunt Meaning
/ɡɹʌnt/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA short snorting sound, often to show disapproval, or used as a reply when one is reluctant to speak.
nounThe snorting cry of a pig.
Sentence Examples
Marzipan pigs do not grunt.
What do you expect from a pig but a grunt.
CEFR Practice Quiz
A tired soldier may ____ in pain while lifting a heavy box.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The heavy lifter let out a low ____ as he struggled to raise the massive barbell above his head.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English grunten, from Old English grunnettan (“to grunt”), from Proto-West Germanic *grunnattjan, from Proto-Germanic *grunnatjaną (“to grunt”), frequentative of Proto-Germanic *grunnōną (“to grunt”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrun- (“to shout”). Cognate with German grunzen (“to grunt”), Danish grynte (“to grunt”). The noun senses are all instances of zero derivation from the verb.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The stranger, with a comfortable kind of grunt over his pipe, put his legs up on the settle that he had to himself."
— 1861, Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, Chapter X:
"The poges stare at the grunts as though the grunts were Hell's Angels at the ballet."
— 1979, Gustav Hasford, The Short-Timers, New York: Bantam Books, published 1980, →ISBN, page 39:
"The events described are those encountered by only 160 men, though the adversity recounted is representative of that experienced by all grunts in Vietnam."
— 1984, Charles Robert Anderson, The Grunts, Berkley Books, →ISBN, page xii:
"He can't make that kind of decision. He's just a grunt!"
— 1986, James Cameron, Aliens, spoken by Burke (Paul Reiser):
"The engine might not possess quite as much grunt as the later 24v six, but it delivers invigorating performance […]"
— 1992, Autocar & Motor, volume 192, page 61:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
A tired soldier may ____ in pain while lifting a heavy box.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The heavy lifter let out a low ____ as he struggled to raise the massive barbell above his head.