1. noun Of a student, the act of working intently, and primarily, on getting good grades. I know some of the kids in my class are grade-grubbing and only want to get an A above all else.

2. noun The act of trying to persuade a teacher to change one's grade, as through flattery or questioning. All the grade-grubbing needs to stop—that question is not misleading, and I'm not changing any of your grades.

3. adjective Describing a student who is solely focused on getting good grades. You're bound to get a few grade-grubbing students who just want an A and don't really care about the material.