Meaning & use
trudging
Last updated
“trudging” is a form of “trudge”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbintransitive
The -ing form of trudge: walking slowly and heavily, usually because you are tired or the ground is difficult.
Grammar: Often followed by a direction: trudging through snow, trudging up the hill.
Patterns
- trudge through something
- trudge up something
- trudge along
We spent the afternoon trudging through deep snow.
He kept trudging up the hill with a heavy backpack.
Children were trudging home after a long day at school.
verbintransitivefigurative
Moving forward with effort and little enthusiasm, in a task that is long and dull.
Grammar: Used figuratively: trudging through paperwork.
Patterns
- trudge through something
She was trudging through a pile of tax forms.
The film's second half is a slow slog, trudging toward its ending.
Word forms
| base form | trudge |
|---|---|
| third person singular | trudges |
| past tense | trudged |
| past participle | trudged |
Common combinations
- trudging through the snow
- They were trudging through the snow to the cabin.
- trudging up the hill
- Hikers were trudging up the hill in the heat.
- trudging home
- She was trudging home with the groceries.
- trudging along
- He kept trudging along despite the blisters.
- trudging through mud
- The soldiers were trudging through mud for miles.
Synonyms and how they differ
- plodding
- Plodding stresses steady, heavy slowness, and it can also describe work that is dull, whereas trudging emphasizes tiredness or hard ground.
- slogging
- Slogging suggests very hard, grinding effort, as in a long task, and is more informal than trudging.
- tramping
- Tramping is a firm, noisy, often long walk, but trudging stresses weariness.
- strolling
- Strolling is a relaxed, pleasant walk, which is the opposite of the heavy-footed feeling in trudging.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: trudging or trundling?
trudging vs trundling
Trundling means rolling along heavily, as a cart or wheeled thing does. Trudging is for a person walking.
Practice
After the missed train, we ended up ___ through the rain for two miles to the next station.
Choose one answer.
Trudging shows slow, tired walking in bad conditions. Striding, skipping and gliding all suggest an easy, lively pace.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “trudging”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.