plod
/plɒd
/verb (plods, plodding, plodded) [no object, with adverbial of direction]
1Walk doggedly and slowly with heavy steps: we plodded back up the hill...
- I heard their heavy boots slowly plodding across the hardwood floors to the back stairs that led to his room.
- I slowly plodded down the steps of bus.
- She walked all day, plodding down deserted alleyways and running across busy intersections.
Synonyms
trudge, walk heavily, clump, stomp, stump, tramp, drag oneself, lumber, slog;
Scottish & Northern Irish sprauchle;
Scottish & Irish traik
British informal trog
1.1Work slowly and perseveringly at a dull task: we were plodding through a textbook...
- Most of the day I've kept myself busy, working on the website, plodding steadily through the task of establishing a new, unified approach to the archives.
- They were content to plod on with tedious tasks.
- Soon after, he went to work, where he plodded through his daily tasks and his co-workers, most of whom knew bits and pieces of his personal life but none of whom knew the whole story, ignored him.
Synonyms
work one's way, wade, plough, toil, trawl, soldier (on), proceed laboriously, labour
informal slog
noun
1A slow, heavy walk: he settled down to a steady plod...
- In the main the group coped well, getting into a steady plod to get them to the top of the pass.
- Intelligent dark eyes surveyed the rain-tossed sky through the windows, the mass of people rushing for shelter then slowing down into a weary plod as they reached the shade awnings and begin their trudging to classes.
- Then it was a dire plod back along Rainhill Road, through Nutgrove then home.
2 (also PC Plod) British informal A police officer: a bunch of plods arrived, offering me a lift to the cop shop...
- And over the road, taking shelter from the heat and rain in the bushes, another two secret and two uniformed plods.
- (No early morning knocks on the door yet from the local plods, you'll be glad to hear).
- It seems the ordinary plods have some other beefs with the way he runs the police; the Police Union voted no confidence in him earlier this month.
With allusion to Mr Plod the Policeman in Enid Blyton's Noddy stories for children
Derivatives
plodder
/ noun ...- She would rouse the indolent, cheer the plodder, steady the unstable and encourage the eager.
- But one of his political tricks is to lull people into seeing him as a bit of a grey plodder, when suddenly he'll surprise with a devastating turn of phrase, a damaging soundbite and barbed humour.
- They see you as very cautious, extremely careful, a slow and steady plodder.
Origin
Mid 16th century: probably symbolic of a heavy gait.