What does plod mean?
To plod is to move forward slowly and with considerable effort, usually as if every step is burdensome. A person can plod along a difficult path, plod through a long piece of work, or metaphorically plod onward through a difficult situation. The word is especially associated with heavy, labored walking, but it can also describe making slow, monotonous progress. Because plodding is slower and more effortful than merely walking, the verb often conveys weariness, difficulty, or lack of speed. It can be mildly disparaging when applied to a person or an organization, suggesting unimaginative persistence. In its less common noun use, a plod refers to a laborious walk or prolonged effort. Plod is related in sound to several common verbs such as trudge and slog, but it more strongly emphasizes the weight and effort of the process.
To walk slowly and heavily, especially with effort; to continue moving or working laboriously.
"The weary travelers plodded up the steep hillside."
The figurative sense denotes slow, tedious, or unexciting progress.
A slow, laborious walk or, less commonly, a period of tedious, effortful work.
"The final miles of the journey were a wearying plod across the dunes."
This noun use is less common than the verb and can sound somewhat old-fashioned.
The plural is used for separate instances of a laborious walk or effort, although the noun itself is uncommon.
"After several difficult plods across the ice, the group reached the opposite shore."
A plod is not merely a slow walk: the word carries the burdensome sense of putting one heavy foot after another.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does plod come from?
The verb appeared in the early modern English period in the sense of laboring or toiling, and it later acquired or developed the meaning of walking heavily and slowly. Its precise origin is uncertain. The noun meaning a laborious walk or effort developed from the earlier sense of hard, persistent work.
Related word forms
How plod is actually used
The verb is chiefly British, though it is also understood in American English. It has a mildly negative or weary connotation because it emphasizes slow, effortful movement or laborious, unexciting work.