1 B1 neutral
To wear something away physically by grinding or abrasion until it is smaller or smoother.
"He used a file to grind down the sharp edge of the metal bracket."
separable
grind down
B2 neutral separable transitive
To wear something down by grinding, or to exhaust and demoralize someone through relentless pressure.
In plain English
To slowly crush or tire someone out through pressure, or to make something smaller by rubbing it against a hard surface.
What does "grind down" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To exhaust, demoralize, or weaken someone through relentless pressure, hardship, or oppression.
"Years of poverty and overwork had ground her down until she had almost no energy left to fight."
“
"The system is designed to grind you down."
— Commonly attributed paraphrase of George Orwell's themes in '1984' and 'The Road to Wigan Pier'; widely used in political commentary.
separable
3 B2 idiomatic neutral
To gradually overcome opposition or resistance through persistent, relentless effort.
"The army slowly ground down the enemy's defenses over several weeks of sustained bombardment."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To reduce something to smaller pieces by grinding it downward with pressure.
Actually means
To slowly crush or tire someone out through pressure, or to make something smaller by rubbing it against a hard surface.
Usage tip
The figurative sense (demoralizing someone) is more common in everyday speech. Often used in political or social commentary to describe oppressive systems. The literal sense refers to physical abrasion.
Words that pair with "grind down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
opposition resistance workers enemy spirit morale
How to conjugate "grind down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
grind down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
grinds down
he/she/it
Past simple
grinded down
yesterday
Past participle
grinded down
have + pp
-ing form
grinding down
continuous
Hear "grind down" in the wild
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Other ways to say "grind down"
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