Grunt

A short, low, guttural sound made by a person or animal, typically expressing effort, exertion, disapproval, or annoyance. It can also be used figuratively to represent the unsung heroes or workers in a field, those who do the difficult, often thankless tasks. The sound itself usually originates from the back of the throat and is characterized by a lack of clear articulation. Additionally, the word can describe the action of making this sound, or being one who makes the sound repeatedly.

Grunt meaning with examples

• He strained to lift the heavy box, letting out a loud grunt of effort as his muscles bulged. The exertion was visible in every twitch of his face and body. His friends stopped talking to watch his struggle, but he continued to grunt until he finally lifted it. He would often grunt when exerting himself or working hard on a project.
• The soldier, exhausted from the long march, simply grunted in response to the sergeant's orders, his voice too drained for a full sentence. His body felt like a million pounds of bricks were attached to him, so he grunted to let him know he heard him. He didn't argue he just grunted. All he wanted to do was find a place to sleep.
• The chef, frustrated by the burnt offering, let out a grunt of disapproval, shaking his head in dismay. He didn't want to make a big deal out of it so he grunted and took care of it himself. He expected perfection from his staff so there was no room for mistakes. It wasn't easy keeping them up to his level of cooking skills.
• “The grunts, the ones on the front lines,” she said, “they never get the credit. They’re the ones truly making this happen.” This respect of grunts was something very important to this woman. They would grunt through the hard work to make her business successful. She wouldn't let anyone disrespect them.