verb / noun

plod

PLAHD/plɑːd/

Slow, laborious movement or progress.

We plod up the muddy trail with our heavy packs.

A tired hiker plods uphill through sticky mud, taking short, heavy steps beneath a loaded backpack.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain, though the word may imitate slow, heavy footsteps. Its recorded meaning covers both laborious walking and working with steady perseverance.

In context

LibriVox Audiobooks180:02

The down-at-heel boots continued to plod onwards.

Everyman at War. Sixty Personal Narratives of the War by Charles B. Purdom Part 1/3 | Audio Book

More examples

She plods through the paperwork one form at a time.
The old truck plodded up the steep hill.
The walk home is a weary plod through deep snow.

Forms

plod · plods · plodded · plodding

plodder noun — Someone who progresses slowly with steady effort.

Similar words

trudge: Usually describes weary walking rather than slow progress at work.
slog: Emphasizes strenuous effort, often through difficult or unpleasant work.