Past Tense of Grind
For the ordinary verb “grind,” the standard simple past and past participle are both “ground.” The principal forms are grind, ground, ground.
Use “ground” for both the simple past and the past participle of “grind” in standard general English.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| ordinary completed past action | ground | Use “ground” as the simple past in standard general English. |
| ordinary perfect construction | ground | Use “ground” as the past participle. |
| specialized or slang usage | check that variety separately | Do not treat an unreviewed specialized form as a competing general-English principal part. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Are you using the ordinary general-English verb “grind” in a past form?
If yes: Use “ground.”
If no: If the use is specialized or slang, check that specific variety rather than extending this general-English rule.
Caveat: The reviewed evidence supports “ground” as the standard general-English past and past participle. This page does not use that evidence to rule on unrelated specialized slang or brand-specific forms.
Examples
She ground the coffee beans before breakfast.
The ordinary simple past is “ground.”
They have ground the spices into a fine powder.
The ordinary past participle is also “ground.”
This guide treats the standard general-English verb.
Specialized usages need their own evidence rather than being inferred from the general paradigm.
Further guidance
Core difference
“Grind” is irregular in standard general English: the past and past participle are “ground.”
Fast Test
For a completed past action or a perfect construction, use “ground”: “They ground the beans”; “They have ground the beans.”
Usage Boundary
This page gives the standard general inflection and does not treat specialized slang or brand-specific forms as competing standard principal parts.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- grind — Cambridge Learner’s Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Ground as the standard simple past and past participle of grind