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 of elbow grease

• effort
• work
• pains

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

One of the best tips for efficient weekly cleaning is to utilize tools that still ensure sanitization without all the elbow grease. —Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 25 Jan. 2026

You should be left with a noticeably brighter bowl with minimal elbow grease. —Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 25 Jan. 2026

Prepare to apply some elbow grease for the best results. —Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Jan. 2026

There’s also an impressive discount on the top-selling Fullstar vegetable chopper that can dice produce any which way without any elbow grease on your end, as well as this six-piece champagne flute set that’s primed for New Year’s Eve festivities. —Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 20 Dec. 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