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

Among them was Placentia, where a decade of community service was celebrated with some elbow grease and care. —Heather McRea, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026

Save the elbow grease and use a dryer sheet on the stubborn food residue instead. —Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026

Spare yourself some elbow grease and invest in this rechargeable set for all your bottle cleaning needs. —Pamela Brill, Parents, 7 Apr. 2026

Thankfully, this handy tool provides a boost of elbow grease. —Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 5 Apr. 2026

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