PLODDING Synonyms: 292 Similar and Opposite Words

plodding 1 of 2

adjective

as in relentless

Related Words

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Dissimilar Words

as in ambling

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

plodding

2 of 2

verb

present participle of plod

as in laboring

to devote serious and sustained effort plodded night and day to get the assignment done

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in stumbling

to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually oxen plodding through deep mud

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in dragging

to move slowly plodded reluctantly off to work

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in shuffling

to move heavily or clumsily wayfarers plodding across the sandy wastes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 plodding

Adjective

Bennie Liebenberg, a former geologist at the mine who was serving as our guide, has the plodding, slightly wide-eyed manner of someone who has spent a lot of time underground. — James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026 During the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, activists from the gay community lambasted him and his institute for the plodding pace of research on the virus. — Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026 The audience was still as the band started playing a plodding rhythm. — Literary Hub, 27 July 2026 Brunson was too small (6-foot-2), not long enough (with a 6-foot-4 wingspan) and too plodding. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 3 June 2026 Neither is known for having much of an off-the-dribble game that could hurt the plodding Porzingis or Horford. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026 His jogging gait is a bit plodding. — Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026 His two-time matchup was Alejandro Kirk, an excellent hitter but, at 5-foot-8 and 245 pounds, a plodding runner. — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2026 Where the film falters is in its plodding rhythm and clunky dialogue, much of which is delivered too flatly by actors who don’t exactly steal their scenes. — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026

Verb

The slow-burn storytelling reflects the characters’ plodding childhoods, utterly lacking in carefree play. — Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 16 Oct. 2026 The film is instead, in its strange and sometimes plodding manner, a call to simply sit and think about the contradictions of human character. — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2026 In addition to sizzling 115-degree days, Las Vegas’ famous resorts and casinos are plodding through a tourism slump. — Marshall Cohen, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026 Santa, who was heavy and plodding with bad knees, couldn’t keep up as Gayle tailed this man through an alleyway. — Wilbert L. Cooper, Longreads, 25 Aug. 2026 That optionality may be more enticing for New York than just signing a plodding third center. — Tom Rende, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 The answer is complex, highlighting the dramatic differences between the public perception of a case and the careful, plodding way that evidence must be presented in a courtroom, experts said. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 27 July 2026 But plodding through them offers little pleasure, guilty or otherwise. — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026 The other human beings his size have either been plodding trees who can barely get up the floor or rail-thin gazelles who can’t handle the G-forces their bodies generate at full speed. — Jared Weiss, New York Times, 24 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plodding

Adjective

The classic free-radical theory of aging, first proposed in the 1950s, held that aging itself resulted from the relentless buildup of ROS in our cells, decade after decade, and the wear and tear this caused.

— Rowan Jacobsen, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Since 2017, Dulgarian has grown TAGABOW from its placid, solo origins into one of the decade’s most influential and inventive shoegaze bands; the proof is in Lotto, their bold and relentless breakout LP from last year.

— Abby Jones, Pitchfork, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of relentless

Adjective

For this Nuggets lineup, the average comes out to a pedestrian 6-9, with three capable perimeter defenders to assist the heavy-footed centers, two 40% 3-point shooters to space the floor, and a surplus of play-making talent.

— Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2025
Post struggled in his first go, thrown into the fire against the best team in the league that plays a style designed to punish heavy-footed centers.

— Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 2 Feb. 2025

Definition of heavy-footed

Verb

Strange, yes, but definitely more memorable than an accountant in green eyeshade laboring over the books.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
And workers have now spent over 1 million hours laboring on an infrastructure project whose price tag has surpassed $900 million.

— Robert Tann, Denver Post, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of laboring

Verb

Big banks made changes to overdraft fees and fraud protections following previous testimony, for example, while former Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf abruptly resigned in 2016 after stumbling during hearings on the bank’s fake accounts scandal.

— Reuters, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026
In an era of geotags and influencers, there’s something deeply satisfying about stumbling upon a place that still feels like a secret.

— Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of stumbling

Verb

He’s also been known to engage with those who might not be fans of his comedic stylings, publicly arguing back and forth with civilians, dragging them on his social media for his fans to see.

— Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026
Beaches typically go through a seasonal cycle with powerful winter waves dragging sand out to sea and more mild summer waves depositing the sand back onshore.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of dragging

Verb

Green tea was served by gang members shuffling around in slippers.

— Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Ivey and his partner persuaded the Crockfords dealer to rotate the high-value cards 180 degrees before shuffling them back into the pack, citing some obscure superstition as justification.

— Kit Chellel, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of shuffling

Adjective

Lately, though, the push notifications alerting me to the recall du jour have taken on an unremitting, nagging tone.

— Greg Mania, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2026
In this age of unremitting test screenings and CinemaScore, downer endings typically score lower, so Abrams appreciates that Cregger and Sony weren’t afraid to figuratively twist the knife in the audience.

— Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of unremitting

Adjective

Shohei Ohtani returned to the top of the Dodgers’ lineup Monday after four days off to address lingering aches, as the club effectively pauses its pitching program for the two-way star.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026
No more distractions, no more lingering questions, just a baller who loves this sport and continues to level up.

— Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 31 July 2026

Definition of lingering

Browse Nearby Words

plodders

plodding

ploddingly

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Style

“Plodding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plodding. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of plodding

adjective

verb

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