DRUDGERY Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'drudgery' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of drudgery are grind , labor , toil , travail , and work . While all these words mean "activity involving effort or exertion," drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor. // an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

Q: When might 'grind' be a better fit than 'drudgery'?

The synonyms grind and drudgery are sometimes interchangeable, but grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body. // the grind of the assembly line

Q: When is it sensible to use 'labor' instead of 'drudgery'?

While the synonyms labor and drudgery are close in meaning, labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion. // farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

Q: Where would 'toil' be a reasonable alternative to 'drudgery'?

Although the words toil and drudgery have much in common, toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor. // his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

Q: In what contexts can 'travail' take the place of 'drudgery'?

The words travail and drudgery can be used in similar contexts, but travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering. // years of travail were lost when the house burned

Q: When would 'work' be a good substitute for 'drudgery'?

In some situations, the words work and drudgery are roughly equivalent. However, work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force. // too tired to do any work

drudgery

noun

ˈdrəj-rē

Definition of drudgery next

as in labor

very hard or unpleasant work in the "good old days" household servants led lives filled with much drudgery and little pleasure

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the noun drudgery contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of drudgery are grind, labor, toil, travail, and work. While all these words mean "activity involving effort or exertion," drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor.

an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

When might grind be a better fit than drudgery?

The synonyms grind and drudgery are sometimes interchangeable, but grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body.

the grind of the assembly line

When is it sensible to use labor instead of drudgery?

While the synonyms labor and drudgery are close in meaning, labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.

farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

Where would toil be a reasonable alternative to drudgery?

Although the words toil and drudgery have much in common, toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor.

his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

In what contexts can travail take the place of drudgery?

The words travail and drudgery can be used in similar contexts, but travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering.

years of travail were lost when the house burned

When would work be a good substitute for drudgery?

In some situations, the words work and drudgery are roughly equivalent. However, work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force.

too tired to do any work

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of drudgery 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 See all Example Sentences for drudgery

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drudgery

Noun

The Federal Election Commission states corporations and labor organizations are allowed to make donations to an inaugural committee and contributions are not subject to any limits.

— Molly Bohannon, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
Automation at the plant, which opened during the pandemic five years ago, has resulted in fewer finger injuries, near total lemon usage (up from 40% when done manually), and saved around 10,000 labor hours per day.

— Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 9 Jan. 2025