Synonyms of elbow grease

elbow grease

noun

as in effort

the active use of energy in producing a result

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• effort
• work
• pains
• expenditure
• sweat
• trouble
• energy
• labor
• exertion
• while
• power
• toil
• try
• drudgery
• strain
• muscle
• attempt
• might
• dint
• essay
• pass
• endeavor
• trial
• force
• go
• travail
• grind
• stab
• slog
• shot
• whack
• puissance
• fling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• facility
• ease
• smoothness
• fluency
• inertia
• inaction
• inactivity
• laziness
• idleness
• dormancy
• indolence
• adroitness
• quiescence
• languor

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of elbow grease

Younger businesses can counter missteps through a much nimbler mix of ingenuity and elbow grease, but nothing beats simply avoiding them by mapping possible pitfalls in advance. —Allbusiness, Forbes, 19 Nov. 2024

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