Grok

Grok

ɡräk

Noun

  • Understand (something) intuitively or by empathy.
  • Empathize or communicate sympathetically; establish a rapport.

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Example Sentences

“I’m learning a new programming language, but I already grok how we’re going to use it in the next project.”

“We grew up with different backgrounds, but my best friend and I grok each other.”

“I have a difficult co-worker, so I want to grok and get to know him better.”

Word Origin

American English, 1960s

Why this word?

“Grok” was first used in Robert Heinlein’s 1961 sci-fi novel, “Stranger in a Strange Land,” and while it was coined as a fictional Martian word, the meaning of describing a deep sense of knowing and understanding has many real-world applications. “The Jargon File,” a dictionary of programmer slang, says, “When you claim to ‘grok’ some knowledge or technique, you are asserting that you have not merely learned it in a detached instrumental way but that it has become part of you, part of your identity.”

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souˈdädə