grok
verb

- to understand intuitively or by empathy; to establish rapport with

- to empathize or communicate sympathetically (with); also, to experience enjoyment.

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noun

- an AI chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s company xAI

Oxford English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster

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WORD ORIGIN


The verb “grok” was coined by science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein in his 1961 novel Stranger in a Strange Land. In the book, "grok" is a word from the Martian language spoken by Valentine Michael Smith, a human raised by Martians who returns to Earth.

In Martian, "grok" means to understand something so completely that the observer becomes part of the observed—to merge, to blend, to intermarry, to lose identity in group experience. It's a profound, almost mystical level of understanding that goes far beyond intellectual comprehension.

The word entered 1960s counterculture vocabulary and became popular among: computer programmers and hackers, the hippie movement, and science fiction fans.

Today "grok" means:
- To understand intuitively or by empathy
- To establish rapport with
- To comprehend thoroughly and instinctively

“Grok” was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 1976, recognizing its transition from fictional neologism to legitimate English vocabulary.


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SYNONYMS

absorb, apprehend, appreciate at a deeper level, assimilate, be steeped in, crack the code (of), connect the dots, comprehend (in depth, fully), cotton on to, decipher the code, decode, delve into, digest, discern, fathom, get a handle on, get it (completely), get one’s head around, get the hang of, get the picture, get to the bottom of, get under the skin of, go beneath the surface, grasp (fully), GROK, inhabit the concept, internalise, intuit, know inside out (like the back of one’s hand), lift the veil on, make sense of at a fundamental level, master, penetrate (the depths of, the meaning), peel back the layers, perceive profoundly, plumb the depths (of), read between the lines, reach the marrow of, see into the heart/soul of (it), see it clearly, see straight through something, see the whole picture, see the wood for the trees, see the whole picture, see through to the heart of, shine a light into the depths, suss out, the light bulb moment, to get to the bottom of, tumble to, understand inside out, unlock the meaning of (the mysteries of), wrap one’s head/mind around

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SMUGGLE OWAD into a sentence, say something like:

“I don't think I'll ever GROK quantum physics.”

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