To trudge means to walk slowly and heavily, usually because you're tired, the path is difficult, or you're not happy about where you're going. When you trudge through deep snow, each step takes real effort as you lift your boots high and push forward. When you trudge home after a long, disappointing day at school, your feet feel like they weigh a hundred pounds.

The word captures both the physical heaviness of the walking and often the mental heaviness too. A hiker might trudge up a steep mountain trail in the hot sun, exhausted but determined to reach the summit. Students might trudge through the hallways on a Monday morning, still wishing it were the weekend.

Trudging is different from strolling (which is relaxed) or marching (which is energetic and purposeful). When you trudge, you're moving forward but without enthusiasm or spring in your step. Picture someone walking with shoulders slumped, head down, feet dragging slightly: that's trudging. It's the walk that says “I have to keep going, but I'm not excited about it.”