elbow grease

noun

: hard work

There is just no substitution for the elbow grease involved in promotion. You just have to get out there and work hard to get the word to the stores that the book is available.

—Andy Shafran

especially : vigorously applied physical labor or effort

Best of all, the metal handle is bendable, making it easy to defat liquids of varying depths. Kudos to a kitchen tool that spares elbow grease.

—Grace Young

Synonyms

• effort
• exertion
• expenditure
• labor
• pains
• sweat
• trouble
• while
• work

Examples of elbow grease in a Sentence

It's going to take some elbow grease to get this counter clean.

with a little polish and a lot of elbow grease, I was able to make the old silver teapot shine again

Recent Examples on the Web

This part might require a little more TCL and elbow grease, so plan and prepare accordingly. —Cody Godwin, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024

Baking Soda And Dish Soap When trying to remove or lighten stains that are already set on your Pyrex dish, a combination of a gentle abrasive cleanser and a little elbow grease with a plastic or nylon scrubby (never steel wool) can work wonders. —Sheri Castle, Southern Living, 27 Oct. 2024

Though finding the right color will require some elbow grease—and plenty of trial and error—the results can bring out the very best of your home’s architecture. —Kelsey Mulvey, Sunset Magazine, 21 Oct. 2024

Cleaning this cooker takes some elbow grease due to a rubber seal that needed extra attention. —Alida Nugent, People.com, 3 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

elbow grease

noun

: forceful effort in doing physical labor