What it means
Grinding is that heads-down, same-again hustle where you keep doing the boring bits so the progress meter actually moves. It started big in gaming for farming XP, levels, or loot, but people use it just as much for work, gym, study, money, whatever goal needs patience more than glamour.
Usage examples
"I have been grinding overtime all month to afford the trip."
"He spent the weekend grinding the same level for better gear."
"Been grinding since 6 a.m. and I'm still nowhere near done."
"She's grinding for that promotion, proper tunnel-vision mode all week."
Where it comes from
It comes from grind, literally crushing or wearing something down by rubbing it hard against a surface. By the late 20th century gamers were using grinding for repetitive play done to gain XP, levels, or items. From there it jumped out of games and into everyday talk for relentless, repetitive effort.
