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

Using a good-quality leather cleaner and a little elbow grease is the simplest way to keep your leather goods in premium condition. —Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2025

Restoring that familiar shine might take some elbow grease, but the results will be well worth the work. —Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2025

How to Remove Turmeric Stains from Countertops If turmeric spills on the countertop during cooking, the resulting stains can be removed with pantry staples and elbow grease. —Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2025

How To Clean The Inside Of A Glass Oven Door Cleaning the inside of your oven glass is easy but may require some elbow grease. —Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 31 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for elbow grease

• altarpiece
• centerpiece
• frontispiece
• mantelpiece
• masterpiece
• pilates
• summarise
• syntheses
• apiece
• aris
• assise
• caprice

Kids Definition

elbow grease

noun

: forceful effort in doing physical labor