grind away at — to work very hard and persistently at something, especially something difficult or boring
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: to work very hard and persistently at something, especially something difficult or boring
Pronunciation (IPA): /ɡraɪnd əˈweɪ æt/
Example Sentences
- I've been grinding away at this math problem for hours, and I still can't solve it!
- Tom has been grinding away at learning Korean, but he still orders pizza by pointing at the menu.
- She's grinding away at her diet, but the chocolate cake keeps calling her name.
grind away at
NOUN[/ɡraɪnd əˈweɪ æt/]
to work very hard and persistently at something, especially something difficult or boring
to work very hard and persistently at something, especially something difficult or boring
Grind away at it with your mind, and you'll find the answer!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The verb 'grind' originates from Old English 'grindan', originally denoting the physical act of crushing grain into flour through rotary pressure. The sense of repetitive, forceful mechanical action gradually extended metaphorically to mean 'to work persistently and laboriously', with 'away at' reinforcing the notion of continuous, determined effort.
Breakdown
grind (to crush or pulverize by friction) + away (continuously, persistently) + at (directed toward). The phrase combines the literal grinding motion with directional particles to emphasize sustained, relentless effort applied to a particular task or problem.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“I've been grinding away at this math problem for hours, and I still can't solve it!”
“Tom has been grinding away at learning Korean, but he still orders pizza by pointing at the menu.”
“She's grinding away at her diet, but the chocolate cake keeps calling her name.”
“The team has been grinding away at this project for weeks to meet the deadline.”
📚Related Words
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