drudgery

noun

drudg·​ery ˈdrəj-rē 

ˈdrə-jə-rē

plural drudgeries

: dull, irksome, and fatiguing work : uninspiring or menial labor

the drudgery of his job

Synonyms

• donkeywork
• drudge
• fatigue
• grind
• labor
• moil
• slavery
• sweat
• toil
• travail

Choose the Right Synonym for drudgery

work, labor, travail, toil, drudgery, grind mean activity involving effort or exertion.

work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force.

too tired to do any work

labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.

farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering.

years of travail were lost when the house burned

toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor.

his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor.

an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body.

the grind of the assembly line

Examples of drudgery in a Sentence

He hated the drudgery of his job.

in the “good old days” household servants led lives filled with much drudgery and little pleasure

Recent Examples on the Web

No longer confined to the drudgery of compliance, tax leaders are stepping into more dynamic roles, driving strategic value, spearheading digital transformation, and navigating the ever-expanding maze of regulatory challenges with agility and insight. —Brent Gleeson, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024

Office Space is a 1999 satirical comedy directed by Mike Judge of Beavis and Butt-Head fame, which critiques corporate culture and the drudgery of office life. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2024

What follows is a breezily original story about the pains and pleasure of friendship, coming out, youths spent preoccupied with idle romantic pining, and the drudgery of precarious work. —Tomi Obaro, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2024

But Ferrell’s live-wire, wide-eyed wonder at urban drudgery makes for a far more magical Christmas movie. —EW.com, 30 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see drudge entry 1

First Known Use

1550, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

drudgery

noun

drudg·​ery ˈdrəj-(ə-)rē 

plural drudgeries

: hard or dull work