grindinggrind‧ing /ˈɡraɪndɪŋ/ adjective [only before noun] 
a country devastated by civil war and grinding poverty2a grinding noise is the continuous unpleasant noise of machinery parts rubbing together
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- A grinding ache grew within her, grew and intensified.
- A terrible grinding crunch struck at us like a solid barrier.
- There is no visible grinding poverty and no antagonism towards tourists.
WORD SETS
ablaze, adjectiveacoustic, adjectiveacoustics, nounaglow, adjectivebaa, verbbabble, verbbabble, nounbabel, nounbaby talk, nounbackfire, verbbackground, nounbang, nounbang, verbbang, interjectionbark, verbbark, nounbattle cry, nounbay, verbbeat, verbbeat, nounbellow, verbbellow, nounblare, verbblast, nounbleat, verbbleep, nounbleep, verbblip, nounbong, nounboom, nounboom, verbbowwow, interjectionbrassy, adjectivebray, verbbrazen, adjectivebreathy, adjectivebubble, verbbump, nounchatter, verbchatter, nounclink, verbclink, nouncrack, verbcrack, nouncrackle, verbcrackling, nouncrash, verbcrash, nouncreak, verbcreaky, adjectivecroak, verbcroak, nouncrow, nouncrow, verbcrunch, nouncrunch, verbding-dong, noundiscord, noundiscordant, adjectivedrone, verbdrone, noundrown, verbdrum, verbdrumbeat, noundrumming, noundull, adjectiveecho, verbecho, nounfizz, verbflat, adjectivefootfall, nounfootstep, nounfusillade, noungrinding, adjectivegroan, verbgroan, noungrunt, verbgrunt, nounguffaw, verbgunshot, nounguttural, adjectivehigh, adjectivehigh, adverbhiss, verbindistinct, adjectiveirregular, adjectivelow, verbmarbled, adjectivematching, adjectivemellow, adjectivemelodic, adjectivemelodious, adjectivemetallic, adjectivemoan, verbmoan, nounmodulate, verbmonotone, nounmoo, verbmurmur, verbmurmur, nounmusical, adjectivemusically, adverbmute, verbnasal, adjectivenoise, nounoink, interjectionoof, interjectionpatter, verbpatter, nounpeal, nounpeal, verbpenetrating, adjectivepercussion, nounpsychedelic, adjectivepulse, nounputter, verbquack, verbquack, nounquaver, nounracket, nounrasp, verbrasp, nounraspberry, nounrat-a-tat, nounrattle, nounraucous, adjectivereedy, adjectivereport, nounresonance, nounresonant, adjectiveresonate, verbresonator, nounresound, verbresounding, adjectivereverberate, verbreverberation, nounrich, adjectivering, nounring, verbringing, adjectiveripple, verbripple, nounroar, nounroaring, adjectiveroll, verbrough, adjectiverustle, verbrustle, nounscratch, verbscratch, nounscream, verbscream, nounscrunch, verbsmoky, adjectivesnarl, verbsoft, adjectivesoft-spoken, adjectivesonorous, adjectivesotto voce, adverbsplosh, verbsweet, adjectiveswoosh, verbtick-tock, nountinny, adjectivetonal, adjectivevivid, adjectivevowel, nounwail, verbweak, adjectivewhack, nounwham, interjectionwhine, verbwhinny, verbwhirr, verbwhistle, verbwhistle, nounyelp, nounyowl, verbzoom, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY a country devastated by civil war and grinding povertyCOLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1very difficult and unpleasant, and never seeming to improve: a country devastated by civil war and grinding poverty (=one that happens slowly – used for emphasis)· One accident can bring the whole road system to a grinding halt.
(=extremely severe)· He was shocked by the abject poverty that he saw.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN· Today, Oil Mill is still at work grinding corn, much of the original structure still surviving.· On the far side of the village was a small water mill, probably used for grinding corn.· The Apache women rubbing skins and grinding corn, their hair greasy and full of vermin.· Much of the original wooden machinery is intact - it was used to drive two pairs of millstones for grinding corn.· Damsell's was one of the latter for, by the mid-1840s the firm of Lord and Archer were grinding corn there.· The mill was used for grinding corn until the seventeenth century.· Although no longer used commercially, it was apparently put to occasional use grinding corn up to the start of the First World War.
· There is no visible grinding poverty and no antagonism towards tourists.· Yet, regrettably, the lasting impression is of a merely superficial look at grinding poverty.· Their first years together were a time of grinding poverty.
a country devastated by civil war and grinding poverty2a grinding noise is the continuous unpleasant noise of machinery parts rubbing together