workhorse

noun

work·​horse ˈwərk-ˌhȯrs 

1

: a horse used chiefly for labor as distinguished from driving, riding, or racing

2

a(1)

: a person who performs most of the work of a group task

(2)

: a hardworking person

b

: something that is markedly useful, durable, or dependable

c

: horse sense 7

Examples of workhorse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As a workhorse spot that does it all from cooking and entertaining to day-to-day dining—plus everything else in between—the kitchen deserves some proper attention. —Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 5 Apr. 2025

Free-agent signing Najee Harris gives the Chargers a durable and reliable workhorse back. —Daniel Popper, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025

Save $148 on this big-screen workhorse while this sale price lasts. —Jade Chung-Lee, PC Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025

However, a key workhorse for providing vertical profiles of the atmosphere is the weather balloon. —Marshall Shepherd, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for workhorse

• concourse
• divorce
• endorse
• enforce
• indorse
• midcourse
• outsource
• perforce
• racecourse
• racehorse
• remorse
• seahorse

Kids Definition

workhorse

noun

work·​horse ˈwərk-ˌhȯ(ə)rs 

1

: a horse used for hard work (as on a farm)

2

a

: a person who does most of the work of a group task

b

: something that is useful, durable, or dependable