moer

Senses

1. 1.

   to grind, to mill

   to reduce to powder or small pieces by crushing

2. 2.

   to wear down, to exhaust

   to tire or wear out physically or mentally (figurative)

3. 3.

   to beat up, to thrash

   to physically assault someone (colloquial)

Examples

• "Vou moer o café na hora para ficar mais fresco."

  I'm going to grind the coffee right now so it'll be fresher.

• "Esse trabalho está me moendo, não aguento mais."

  This job is wearing me down, I can't take it anymore.

• "Ela moeu a pimenta no pilão para fazer o molho."

  She ground the pepper in the mortar to make the sauce.

Usage

Common verb used both literally (grinding coffee, spices, grains) and figuratively (being exhausted by work or life). The colloquial meaning "to beat up" is informal and should be used carefully. Regular conjugation follows the -er pattern, but note the stressed forms (mói, moem).