High-speed grinding of advanced technical ceramics reduces the amount of brittle fracture, and surface and subsurface damage. Despite several advantages, high grinding temperature encountered in high-speed grinding aggravates wheel wear, which severely alters the wheel profile and reduces its useful life. This article aims to study the effect of wheel wear on ground surface characteristics of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) at high grinding speed of 160 m/s using single-layer electroplated diamond grinding wheel under flood cooling environment. Grinding forces were monitored, and surface morphology and topography were investigated. Initially, grit pullout and grit flattening increased the grinding forces and force ratio (normal to tangential grinding force) and reduced the fracture on the ground surface. Later, the incidents of grit fracture reduced the grinding force ratio and increased the fracture on the ground surface. The surface roughness, on the other hand, gradually decreased with the progress of wheel wear. © 2019, Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.