A grating; a grid of wire or a sheet of material with a pattern of holes or slots, usually used to protect something while allowing the passage of air and liquids. Typical uses: to allow air through a fan while preventing fingers or objects from passing; to allow people to talk to somebody, while preventing attack.
"Don't let your boss grill you about the missing files, or they'll dock your pay for sure."
Harm.
In plain English: A grill is a metal grate used for cooking food over an open flame or heat source.
"We cleaned the grill after cooking the burgers."
Usage: As a noun, grill most commonly refers to an outdoor cooking appliance or a metal grate, not harm. Use this word when talking about food preparation equipment rather than damage or injury.
To cook (food) on a grill; to barbecue.
"Don't go on that way and start to grill your boss about his strange behavior."
To make angry; provoke; incite.
In plain English: To grill someone is to question them intensely and repeatedly until they give an answer.
"We will grill some burgers for dinner tonight."
Usage: Do not use "grill" to mean making someone angry or provoking them; that definition is archaic and rarely understood today. Instead, use it only when describing the act of questioning someone intensely and repeatedly, often in an interrogation setting.
Harsh, rough, severe; cruel.
"The coach's harsh and severe words during the practice left the team feeling defeated."
In plain English: Grill means something that is very hot and made of metal bars, usually used for cooking food outside.
"He decided to grill his steak over an open flame."
Usage: Use "grill" only when describing an atmosphere or tone that is aggressively harsh and intimidating, such as a grilling interrogation or a grilling reception. It is not appropriate for general strictness or mild discomfort.
The word "grill" comes from the French gril, which traces back to the Latin crātīcula meaning a small gridiron or grate. It entered English in 1655 with this original sense of cooking equipment.