plod
verb
ˈpläd 
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
plod noun
plodder noun
ploddingly
ˈplä-diŋ-lē
adverb 
Synonyms
- bang away
- beaver (away)
- dig (away)
- drudge
- endeavor
- fag
- grub
- hump
- hustle
- labor
- moil
- peg (away)
- plow
- plug
- slave
- slog
- strain
- strive
- struggle
- sweat
- toil
- travail
- tug
- work
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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 on the Web And if there is no path for crypto out of its winter, a potential next step is to plod along as a curiosity in the evolutionary history of money. 
Steve H. Hanke, National Review, 2 Aug. 2022 Through it all, London remains utterly dominant; the economy, the political class, and the country plod on. Tom Mctague, The Atlantic, 19 June 2022 Farmers plod along in tractors and push wheelbarrows full of hay, while soldiers rush by at high speed to avoid Russian targeting. Serhii Korolchuk, Washington Post, 28 June 2022 Yet, for now, both are content to plod along in the shallows, ignoring the currents pulling events around them. Tom Mctague, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2022 Yet, there remains uncertainty as to whether that will happen as planned with the league’s owners continuing to lock out the players as the two sides plod toward a new collective bargaining agreement. Nathan Ruiz, baltimoresun.com, 31 Jan. 2022 Yet, there remains uncertainty as to whether that will happen as planned with the league’s owners continuing to lock out the players as the two sides plod toward a new collective bargaining agreement. Nathan Ruiz, baltimoresun.com, 31 Jan. 2022 Yet, there remains uncertainty as to whether that will happen as planned with the league’s owners continuing to lock out the players as the two sides plod toward a new collective bargaining agreement. Nathan Ruiz, baltimoresun.com, 31 Jan. 2022 Yet, there remains uncertainty as to whether that will happen as planned with the league’s owners continuing to lock out the players as the two sides plod toward a new collective bargaining agreement. Nathan Ruiz, baltimoresun.com, 31 Jan. 2022 See More
Steve H. Hanke, National Review, 2 Aug. 2022 Through it all, London remains utterly dominant; the economy, the political class, and the country plod on. Tom Mctague, The Atlantic, 19 June 2022 Farmers plod along in tractors and push wheelbarrows full of hay, while soldiers rush by at high speed to avoid Russian targeting. Serhii Korolchuk, Washington Post, 28 June 2022 Yet, for now, both are content to plod along in the shallows, ignoring the currents pulling events around them. Tom Mctague, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2022 Yet, there remains uncertainty as to whether that will happen as planned with the league’s owners continuing to lock out the players as the two sides plod toward a new collective bargaining agreement. Nathan Ruiz, baltimoresun.com, 31 Jan. 2022 Yet, there remains uncertainty as to whether that will happen as planned with the league’s owners continuing to lock out the players as the two sides plod toward a new collective bargaining agreement. Nathan Ruiz, baltimoresun.com, 31 Jan. 2022 Yet, there remains uncertainty as to whether that will happen as planned with the league’s owners continuing to lock out the players as the two sides plod toward a new collective bargaining agreement. Nathan Ruiz, baltimoresun.com, 31 Jan. 2022 Yet, there remains uncertainty as to whether that will happen as planned with the league’s owners continuing to lock out the players as the two sides plod toward a new collective bargaining agreement. Nathan Ruiz, baltimoresun.com, 31 Jan. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
origin unknown
First Known Use
1562, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Kids Definition
plod
verb
ˈpläd
plodded; plodding
: to move or travel slowly but steadily
plods
verb
1
as in struggles
to devote serious and sustained effort plodded night and day to get the assignment done Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- struggles
- labors
- works
- strives
- tries
- tugs
- toils
- slogs
- plows
- hustles
- travails
- drudges
- sweats
- humps
- slaves
- endeavors
- bangs away
- fags
- grubs
- moils
- plugs
- strains
- sweats blood
- trudges
- beavers (away)
- digs (away)
- pegs (away)
- wades
- attacks
- drives
- knuckles down
- pitches in
- exerts
- overworks
- scrabbles
- exercises
- essays
- digs in
- scratches
- ekes out
- buckles (down)
- hammers (away)
- overexerts
- applies (oneself)
- grinds (out)
- puts out
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- slackens
- breaks
- shirks
- lazes
- dallies
- rests
- eases (up)
- idles
- lets up
- unwinds
- lolls
- relaxes
- bums
- chills
- hangs (around or out)
- slacks (off)
- basks
- goldbricks
- reposes
- hangs
- loafs
- goofs (off)
- plays
- lounges
- dillydallies
- hacks (around)
- dabbles
- footles
- fools around
- fribbles
- goofs (around)
- trifles
- messes around
- putters (around)
- veges out
- vegges out
- monkeys (around)
- potters (around)
- doodles
- hangs about
2
as in stumbles
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually oxen plodding through deep mud Synonyms & Similar Words
- stumbles
- struggles
- trudges
- flounders
- shuffles
- lurches
- limps
- blunders
- lumbers
- jogs
- shambles
- staggers
- falters
- fumbles
- bumbles
- sways
- totters
- wallows
- flogs
- reels
- welters
- teeters
- muddles
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- glides
- flies
- zooms
- sails
- zips
- coasts
- kilts
3
as in drags
to move slowly plodded reluctantly off to work Synonyms & Similar Words
- drags
- crawls
- shuffles
- slouches
- creeps
- limps
- snails
- pokes
- inches
- trudges
- oozes
- shambles
- noses
- creaks (along)
- lumbers
- tramps
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- speeds
- flies
- races
- glides
- floats
- whizzes
- hurries
- zips
- sails
- tears
4
as in shuffles
to move heavily or clumsily wayfarers plodding across the sandy wastes Synonyms & Similar Words
- shuffles
- stumbles
- stomps
- trudges
- lurches
- barges
- flounders
- shambles
- drags
- lumbers
- sloughs
- slogs
- staggers
- clumps
- weaves
- hauls
- stumps
- pounds
- tramps
- scuffles
- lumps
- stamps
- tromps
- scuffs
- flogs
- galumphs
- waddles
- sways
- flops
- totters
- dodders
- careens
- teeters
- blunders
- reels
- wobbles
- wabbles
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- glides
- waltzes
- slides
- whisks
- drifts
- hovers
- floats
- hangs
- wafts
- poises
- breezes
- coasts
- small-timer
- small-timers
- small-toothed palm civet
- small-town
- small-towner
- smallage
- smallages
- smallclothes
- smalled
- smallen
- smaller
- smaller European elm bark beetle
- smaller pine sawyer
- smallest
- Smalley
- smallholder
- smallholders
- smallholding
- smallholdings
- smalling
- smallish
- smallisher
- smallishest
- smallmouth bass
- smallmouth buffalo