ENGLISH
REFERENCE

grilling

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈɡɹɪɫɪŋ// UK //ɡɹˈɪlɪŋ// grilling Informal

n. a long period of intense and difficult questioning. You usually face this when someone wants to find out the truth or test your knowledge.

n. a period of intense, relentless, or aggressive questioning. Often used in contexts involving police interrogations, political interviews, or strict parental inquiries.


SIMPLE

The boss gave him a real grilling about the missing files.

CONTEXTUAL

After the team lost the final match, the coach gave the players a tough grilling in the locker room.

COMPLEX

The minister faced a fierce grilling from the opposition during the committee hearing, with every policy failure being scrutinized under the public eye.

Synonyms
Usage

Commonly used with the verb 'give' or 'get'.

Pitfall

The police made a grilling to the suspectThe police gave the suspect a grillingGrilling collocations typically use 'give' or 'receive', not 'make'.

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