It is raining, and they are trudging down the street.
In dictionary trudge defined as "To walk in a laborious, heavy-footed way". So when it's raining, and the person walk quickly and laboriously, can I use the word "trudging"?
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You may certainly say They are trudging down the street even if it is not raining! :) Quite seriously, what role does it is raining play in your question?– StoneyB on hiatusMay 31, 2013 at 1:04
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@StoneyB Since it's raining, they walk quickly and laboriously.– T2EMay 31, 2013 at 1:36
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2Ah, I missed quickly. Trudging is slow. Lumber, lurch, wallow, scuttle, or galumph might be what you're looking for. Only scuttle includes the notion of speed, but the others do not EXclude speed.– StoneyB on hiatusMay 31, 2013 at 1:46
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@StoneyB: Also "slog", which indicates difficulty and exertion, but does not preclude speed.– MattMay 31, 2013 at 7:13
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2@StoneyB, "quick" and "laborious" seem like mutually exclusive options to me...– HellionMay 31, 2013 at 15:54
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1 Answer
As some of the commenters noted, trudging implies moving along at a very slow, laborious pace, picking up one foot and placing it in front of the other, over and over and over again. It implies there is resistance or some sort of fatigue.
If you are wanting to say that the people walking in the rain were trying to move along quickly to get inside as soon as possible, you might use the word scurry, which means:
To hurry along; move hastily and precipitately; scamper.
It is raining, and they are scurrying down the street.
If you are wanting to say that the people walking in the rain were actually hindered by the rain or the wet street conditions, you could correctly use the word trudge, which means:
To walk in a laborious, heavy-footed way; plod.
It is raining, and they are trudging through the puddles and mud down the street.
Note, however, that the mental image that accompanies the last sentence is not one of people moving quickly.
