drudge

¹drudge

verb \ˈdrəj\

drudgeddrudg·ing

Definition of DRUDGE

intransitive verb

: to do hard, menial, or monotonous work

transitive verb

: to force to do hard, menial, or monotonous work

— drudg·er noun

Examples of DRUDGE

1. <factory workers who must drudge all day at repetitive tasks>

Origin of DRUDGE

Middle English druggen

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to DRUDGE

Synonyms

bang away, beaver (away), dig (away), labor, endeavor, fag, grub, hump, hustle, moil, peg (away), plod, plow, plug, slave, slog, strain, strive, struggle, sweat, toil, travail, tug, work

Related Words

apply (oneself), buckle (down), dig in, hammer (away), knuckle down, pitch in; attack, drive; essay, try; exercise, exert, overexert, overwork; eke out, grind (out), put out, scrabble, scratch; trudge, wade

Near Antonyms

break, ease (up), let up, slacken; bum, chill, dally, dillydally, footle, goldbrick, goof (off), hack (around), hang (around or out), idle, laze, loaf, lounge, shirk, slack (off), veg out; bask, loll, relax, repose, rest, unwind; dabble, doodle, fool around, fribble, goof (around), hang, hang about [British], mess around, monkey (around), play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle

Rhymes with DRUDGE

bludge, budge, fudge, grudge, judge, nudge, sludge, smudge, trudge

²drudge

noun

Definition of DRUDGE

1

: one who is obliged to do menial work

2

: one whose work is routine and boring

3

: menial or tedious labor

Examples of DRUDGE

1. She was tired of working as an office drudge.
2. <worked like a drudge at a low-paying job that had few benefits>

First Known Use of DRUDGE

15th century

Related to DRUDGE

Synonyms

dogsbody [chiefly British], drone, slave, drudger, fag, foot soldier, grub, grubber, grunt, laborer, peon, plugger, slavey, slogger, toiler, worker

Antonyms

fun, play

Related Words

workhorse; coolie, serf

Near Antonyms

goldbrick, shirker; drone, idler, lazybones, loafer, slouch, slug, sluggard