grind on
phr. v..phr. v.. to continue for a long time in a way that is boring, slow, or annoying.
phr. v.. to proceed in a tedious, protracted, or relentless manner; often used to describe events, processes, or time periods that lack excitement or resolution.
The meeting grinds on for hours without a break.
As the legal battle grinds on, both families are becoming exhausted by the rising costs and stress.
The winter grinds on with relentless grey skies and freezing winds, testing the patience of even the most resilient residents.
usually used with subjects like 'war', 'meeting', 'process', or 'winter' to emphasize boredom or difficulty.
contrast with 'carry on' (neutral) or 'drag on' (similar, but 'grind on' implies a harsher, more mechanical or wearing quality); use the image of gears grinding to anchor the meaning.
The war grinds on us.The war grinds on.in this sense, 'grind on' is usually intransitive; if you want to say it affects someone, use 'grind someone down'.