Phrase guide

grunt work

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • US: /ɡɹʌ̃nʔwɝk/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Work (especially that which is heavy, repetitive or mindless) that is considered undesirable and therefore delegated to underlings.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, uncountable

Examples

  • He plans to hire somebody to do the grunt work of digging the trenches for the pipes.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From the verb grunt.

Across languages

Translations

7 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 枯燥乏味的工作 (kūzào fáwèi de gōngzuò) — unrewarding work
  • Chinese Mandarin: 屎缺 (shǐquē) — unrewarding work
  • Finnish: hanttihomma — unrewarding work
  • Polish: robota głupiego — unrewarding work
  • Polish: czarna robota — unrewarding work
  • Russian: чёрная рабо́та (čórnaja rabóta) — unrewarding work
  • Ottoman Turkish: حماللق (hamallık) — unrewarding work