plod

verb \ ˈpläd \

Updated on: 9 Dec 2017

Definition of plod

plodded; plodding

intransitive verb

1 : to work laboriously and monotonously : drudge

2 a : to walk heavily or slowly : trudge

b : to proceed slowly or tediously

the movie's plot just plods along

transitive verb

: to tread slowly or heavily along or over

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plod

noun

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plodder

noun

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ploddingly

play \ˈplä-diŋ-lē\ adverb

See plod defined for English-language learners

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Examples of plod in a Sentence

We plodded through mud that came up past our ankles.
I could hear my roommate plodding up the steps to our apartment.
We plodded our way across the muddy field.
He plodded through his work.
The day was plodding along.

Recent Examples of plod from the Web

But as battery technology plods forward, and hybrid-electric systems become more sophisticated, planes with batteries are starting to look like an inevitability.

— jay bennett, Popular Mechanics, "Boeing-Backed Electric Plane Could Fly in 2020s," 6 Oct. 2017
Soon, however, this nearly eight-month marathon that is a baseball season will end with the Royals’ erratic campaign plodding to its finish.

— maria torres, kansascity, "Four years of the Salvy Splash: How one Gatorade bath became part of Royals fan lore," 26 Sep. 2017
When much of the world seems to be spinning out of control, Germany remains reassuringly dull, plodding soberly along in the usual way.

— walter russell mead, WSJ, "Winning Again Is Angela Merkel’s Easiest Task," 18 Sep. 2017
One official described a two-track process -- a political one dominated by Trump’s threats, and a more constructive and technocratic track with negotiators plodding forward in search of agreement.

— josh wingrove, Bloomberg.com, "Latest Nafta Talks Near End Without Major Breakthroughs," 5 Sep. 2017
Last year's critically acclaimed championship season has thus far been much more watchable than the 2017 sequel, which featured a slow start, plodding plot development and little drama.

— paul sullivan, chicagotribune.com, "Cubs' season not yet a classic, but the plot is thickening," 4 Sep. 2017
With sharp edges and a face evoking a scowling Kabuki actor, the car marked a departure for a company that plodded its way to selling 10 million vehicles a year.

— sean mclain, WSJ, "Toyota Finds New Customers: People Who Don’t Like Toyotas," 24 Aug. 2017
But with Congress back at work after the summer recess, the pace of its probes into the Russia effort is accelerating, even as Special Counsel Robert Mueller methodically plods ahead with his own investigation.

— stephen collinson, CNN, "Russia cloud follows Donald Trump Jr. meeting on Capitol Hill Thursday," 7 Sep. 2017
Newslook Hurricane Harvey plodded toward a wet exit Friday, leaving more misery in its wake with intense rain and flooding predicted far north as Kentucky.

— bart jansen, USA TODAY, "Harvey floods Tennessee, Kentucky, as Hurricane Irma spins up in the Atlantic," 1 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'plod.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.