What does grill mean?
“Grill” has two strongly established uses. As a noun, it denotes a metal rack or similar cooking apparatus over which meat, vegetables, or other food is cooked; by extension, it can mean a grill restaurant or a place where grilled food is served. As a verb, “grill” means either to cook food on a grill or to question someone persistently and intensely, as in “the reporter grilled the minister.” The word can also describe exposing food to strong direct heat. Its everyday cooking meaning is neutral, while the investigative meaning often carries an implication of pressure, skepticism, or confrontation. Both uses are familiar in British and American English. Although “grille” and “griddle” are sometimes confused with “grill,” they refer to different objects: a grille is a framework of bars, and a griddle is a flat cooking surface.
A metal rack, grid, or similar cooking surface over which food is cooked; also, by extension, a restaurant or cooking area specializing in grilled food.
"The burgers cooked quickly on the hot grill."
In British English, “grill” can also refer to the cooking apparatus itself, while American usage commonly emphasizes the rack or grate.
To cook food on a grill or expose it to strong direct heat; to question someone persistently and rigorously.
"They grilled the chicken and questioned the witness for more than an hour."
The questioning sense is informal and often suggests pressure or aggressive persistence.
The plural is used for multiple cooking grills or cooking appliances, and occasionally for establishments that serve grilled food.
"The patio has several grills for cooking at the same time."
A grill began as a rack over a fire; centuries later, the same word became shorthand for an interrogation so intense that facts seemed to sizzle.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does grill come from?
The word comes through French “gril,” meaning a grid or gridiron, from the Latin “craticula,” a diminutive of “cratis,” meaning wickerwork or a basket-like framework. English borrowed the noun for a cooking grate and later developed the verb meaning to cook on a grill. The separate sense of questioning someone intensely arose from the metaphor of exposing a person to intense heat. Related forms include “grille,” from French “grille,” and “graticule,” also from Latin “craticula”; “crate” comes from the broader Latin root “cratis.”
Related word forms
How grill is actually used
The cooking sense is common in British and American English. In the investigative sense, “grill” is informal and often implies persistent or confrontational questioning rather than a formal interrogation.
Easily confused with grill
A grill is a cooking rack or the act of cooking or questioning intensely, whereas a grille is a decorative or protective framework of bars.
A grill is generally a rack or surface over which food is cooked, while a griddle is a flat, solid cooking pan.