grindy

G2R1I1N1D2Y4
/ˈɡɹaɪndi/

adjective

Resembling or characteristic of grinding.

“a grindy noise”

Scrabble 11

Meanings

adjectivegrindy (comparative more grindy or grindier, superlative most grindy or grindiest)

comparative more grindy · comparative grindier · superlative most grindy · superlative grindiest

  1. informalResembling or characteristic of grinding.

    a grindy noise

    4 more examples

    And “Old P” had stuck, for the whole of the year that Tony had had her, as her grinding day by day got grindier and her spluttering splutterier.

    1986, H[enry] R[eymond] F[itzwalter] Keating, “Old P”, in Ellery Queen’s Prime Crimes, Secaucus, N.J.: Castle, published 1988, →ISBN, page 352

    The songwriting is a bit more grindy than I recall on their other releases, but I’m into that anyway.

    2004 fall–winter, Brian, “Solid Decline / Strong Intention – split EP”, in Profane Existence: Making Punk a Threat Again!, number 46, Minneapolis, Minn.: Profane Existence, →ISSN, page 81, column 1

    I head for the door, but instantly the bumping, gurgling diesel sound gets louder, grindier, it becomes more frantic, and I do too.

    2008, Chris Lynch, “Game On”, in The Big Game of Everything, New York, N.Y.: HarperTeen, →ISBN, page 264

    [T]he gun had stopped firing and started making a horrible grinding noise and burping out thick, stinky smoke. […] The grinding got grindier.

    2016, Alan Brough, “The Explosion”, in Charlie and the War Against the Grannies, Sydney, N.S.W.: Pan, →ISBN, page 262
  2. informalvideo gamesInvolving a lot of repetition in order to progress.

    Some players seem to think that grindy content has been put in on purpose to pad out play […]

    2015, Richard A. Bartle, MMOs from the Inside Out
    4 more examples

    HGM’s writers have spent time in the grindiest of grindy Korean and Japanese free-to-plays, but Free Realms is something new and different and better.

    2009 June, Lynxara [pseudonym; Alicia Ashby], Vivek Varadarajan, “Free Realms”, in Hardcore Gamer Magazine, volume 5, number 1, [Redmond, Wash.]: DoubleJump Publishing, →ISSN, page 12

    Greed will get players to do interesting things. They will grind their way through the grindiest MMOs to get that stronger sword, that unique hat, gain that next level.

    2010, Scott Rogers, “More Wealth Than You Can Imagine!”, in Level Up! The Guide to Great Video Game Design, Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley, →ISBN, Level 13 (Now You’re Playing with Power), page 365

    [T]he student may have sufficient time to spend hours on even the ‘grindiest’ of games or, elsewhere, the mundanities of working life intervene.

    2011, Dave Randall, “All in the Game: Families, Peer Groups and Game Playing in the Home”, in Richard Harper, editor, The Connected Home: The Future of Domestic Life, London: Springer, →ISBN, Part II (Experiencing the Connected Home), page 129

    Beware, as these achievements can feel “grindy” unless there is a worthwhile reward attached.

    2012, Scott Rogers, Swipe This!: The Guide to Great Touchscreen Game Design

Origin

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

grindy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grindy

MLA

“grindy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grindy. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “grindy,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grindy.

Source: grindy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.