grain

noun

ˈgrān How to pronounce grain (audio)
Definition of grainnext
1
as in speck
a very small piece just give me a grain of information about what to expect on the program

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in temper
one's characteristic attitude or mood cheating, even on my income taxes, goes against my grain

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of grain Refined grain foods—like white rice, pasta, and bread—are made from grains that are stripped of their nutrient-rich edible layers, leaving only the starchy endosperm. — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2026 Odesa is a key port for Ukraine’s vital exports of grain and other agricultural products. — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026 Heating rice briefly in butter or oil before adding water or broth helps develop a subtle nutty flavor, while also improving how the grains cook and absorb liquid. — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 2026 These helium ions penetrate only a little way into the individual grains of this soil, but periodically meteorites have struck the lunar surface to churn the soil, mixing some of this helium-3 a little below the surface. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for grain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grain
  1. speck
  2. temper
  3. fleck
  4. temperament
  5. bit
  6. disposition
  7. particle
  8. attitude
Noun
  • Calcium shows up as bright white specks on the coronary artery images.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Pulse a few times, until crumbs range in size from specks to peas.
    — Leah Eskin, Midwest Living, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of speck
Noun
  • Cubs manager Craig Counsell, who runs his pitching staff with a long-term outlook and takes a more conservative approach in these situations, made a point to temper any expectations surrounding Steele.
    — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Bessent set up a program to sell short-term (lower rate) Treasury bills and notes and buy back long-term bonds, hoping to temper rates.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of temper
Noun
  • The soup itself has an almost lemon curd-like acidity and sweetness, and it’s laced with flecks of fresh corn and tiny diced pieces of zucchini.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Amid his vast responsibilities running all the departments in the Giants’ front office, Zaidi still found the time to pore over MLB Draft League statistics and look for flecks of gold.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of fleck
Noun
  • Boards already spend years evaluating whether a successor has an enterprise mindset, stakeholder management skills, credibility, and the temperament to lead through what comes next.
    — Julian Hayes II, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
  • For Ozener, the deal was as much about temperament as capital.
    — Ritu Upadhyay, Footwear News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of temperament
Noun
  • But the tricky bit is doing so without eviscerating Congress’ regulatory powers across a lot of different dimensions, including criminal law, that the justices may also think important.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The terrific new album was played in its entirety during the middle portion of Squeeze’s set and evoked a little bit of the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds in some spots.
    — David Chiu, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of bit
Noun
  • The disposition lens asks what changed because of the first three lenses.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Earlier this year, Harrison Street sold a 12-property student housing portfolio for $910 million, one of the largest dispositions in the sector in recent years.
    — Diana Olick, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of disposition
Noun
  • Without ventilation, those particles settle on nearby surfaces like cabinets, walls, and countertops, creating a sticky film that builds up over time.
    — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 3 Sep. 2026
  • If the event detected by this team was caused by the rare interaction between two WIMPs, this would tell scientists some things about these currently hypothetical particles.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of particle
Noun
  • Before Gus could take on that role, Bell first had to find a dog with the right attitude for the job.
    — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • In a sport like golf, where grinders like Clark are revered, that sort of head-down, do-the-work attitude may be what ends up appealing to fans.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of attitude

Phrases Containing grain

Browse Nearby Words

grails
grain
grained
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grain. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on grain

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about grain

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All