grunt
gb/ɡɹˈʌnt/ us/ɡɹˈʌnt/
B1
English
~ 1600
mordul, felnyög, mordulás, nyögés, melós, irodai robot, baka, gyalogos
VERB
B1
1
Usage pattern:
[someone] grunts
She grunted as she lifted the heavy box.
Felnyögött, amikor felemelte a nehéz dobozt.
He only grunted in reply to my question.
A kérdésemre csak mordult egyet válaszul.
The player grunted loudly when he hit the ball.
The injured man grunted with each step.
I heard him grunt as he pushed the door open.
Learner examples
He grunted when he stood up.
Felnyögött, amikor felállt.
The man grunted with pain.
A férfi fájdalmában felnyögött.
She grunted as she moved the table.
I heard the boy grunt when he fell.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'grunt' with 'growl'; 'growl' is usually a longer, more aggressive animal sound.
Meaning
Make a short low sound
Collocations
grunt in pain
|grunt with effort
|grunt softly
Synonyms
groan (Usually longer and more drawn-out, often expressing pain or annoyance.)
Antonyms
speak (Speaking uses clear words instead of short nonverbal sounds.)
Themes
daily life
|communication
|body
Definition
To make a short, deep sound from your throat, often when you are working hard or feel pain.
To produce a short, low, rough sound in the throat, often to express effort, discomfort, or acknowledgement.
NOUN
B1
2
Usage pattern:
a grunt of [emotion]
He gave a grunt of effort as he lifted the box.
Erőlködő nyögést hallatott, amikor felemelte a dobozt.
A grunt of pain escaped her lips.
Fájdalmas nyögés hagyta el az ajkát.
The soldier answered with a grunt.
I heard a grunt from the next room.
His only response was a grunt.
Learner examples
She made a grunt when she fell.
Nyögött egyet, amikor elesett.
He gave a grunt as he opened the jar.
Nyögött egyet, amikor kinyitotta a befőttesüveget.
I heard a grunt from the man.
The boy made a grunt when he stood up.
Meaning
Short low throat sound
Collocations
a grunt of effort
|a grunt of pain
|a grunt of approval
Synonyms
groan (Similar but usually longer and more expressive of discomfort.)
Antonyms
speech (Speech uses words instead of short sounds.)
Themes
daily life
|communication
|body
Definition
A short, deep sound made from the throat.
A short, low, rough sound made in the throat, typically to express effort, pain, or acknowledgement.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
3
melós
B2
irodai robot
C1
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a grunt
I started as an office grunt before moving up to management.
Irodai robotként kezdtem, aztán vezetői pozícióba kerültem.
The grunts do all the heavy lifting while the bosses sit in offices.
A melósok végzik az összes nehéz munkát, miközben a főnökök az irodáikban ülnek.
As a new recruit, you're just a grunt for now.
He felt like nothing more than a corporate grunt.
Most of the work was done by the grunts on the shop floor.
Learner examples
He is just an office grunt.
Ő csak egy irodai robot.
I was a factory grunt for two years.
Két évig gyári melós voltam.
The new worker is a grunt.
Grunts do the hard jobs.
Meaning
Low-ranking worker
Collocations
office grunt
|factory grunt
|just a grunt
Synonyms
drudge (Suggests dull, menial work, sometimes with more negative connotation.)
Antonyms
manager (A manager has authority and responsibility rather than doing basic tasks.)
Themes
work
|informal
|core_vocabulary
Definition
An informal word for a worker who does simple or hard jobs and is not important in the company or group.
An informal term for someone who does basic, routine, or physically demanding work, often with little recognition or authority.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
4
He served as a grunt during the Vietnam War.
Bakaként szolgált a vietnámi háborúban.
Most grunts never see the generals who command them.
A legtöbb baka sosem látja az őt irányító tábornokokat.
The movie follows the life of a young army grunt.
Grunts face dangerous conditions on the front lines.
Learner examples
He was a grunt in the army.
Baka volt a hadseregben.
Many grunts fought in that war.
Sok baka harcolt abban a háborúban.
The grunt walked with his unit.
The movie is about an army grunt.
Meaning
Infantry soldier (US slang)
Collocations
army grunt
|Vietnam War grunt
Synonyms
infantryman (Formal military term for a soldier who fights on foot.)
Antonyms
officer (An officer holds rank and command rather than serving as ordinary infantry.)
Themes
military
|politics
Definition
In US military slang, a soldier who fights on foot in the army.
US military slang for an infantry soldier, especially one who serves on foot and does frontline combat work.
Grammar
Dictionary form
grunt
IPA
GB/ɡɹˈʌnt/
US/ɡɹˈʌnt/
Syllables & stress
grunt (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (grunt)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: grunt
- Plural: grunts
Verb
- Base: grunt
- 3rd Person Singular: grunts
- Present Participle: grunting
- Past: grunted
Word family
Forms
grunts
noun
grunting
verb
grunted
verb
Negative and opposite forms
disgruntled
adjective
Advanced or less common
disgruntle
verb
Expressions
grunt work
1/ɡɹˈʌnt wˈɚk/
fixed phrase
informal
Boring routine tasks
Work that is boring or simple and needs little skill but must still be done.
Examples
- I spent my first year at the company doing all the grunt work.
- Volunteers handled most of the grunt work for the event.