workhorse

noun

work·​horse ˈwərk-ˌhȯrs 

1

: a horse used chiefly for labor as distinguished from driving, riding, or racing

2

a(1)

: a person who performs most of the work of a group task

(2)

: a hardworking person

b

: something that is markedly useful, durable, or dependable

c

: horse sense 7

Examples of workhorse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This places iron–sodium alongside ultra‑long‑duration concepts like iron‑air less as a rival and more as the workhorse layer that soaks up daily swings while those 100‑hour systems chase rare, extreme events. —Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 6 Jan. 2026

Bruno also led the company as ULA developed its new Vulcan Centaur rocket, which uses Blue Origin's BE-4 rocket engines on its first stage and is designed to be the company's new workhorse booster. —Tariq Malik, Space.com, 31 Dec. 2025

This three-season workhorse is an essential part of your spring, summer, and fall landscaping toolkit, but it should be disconnected, drained, and stored in winter. —Blythe Copeland, Martha Stewart, 31 Dec. 2025

The wardrobe workhorse pair looks great with everything from classic T-shirts to sophisticated blouses and everything else in your winter rotation. —Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 30 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for workhorse

• concourse
• divorce
• endorse
• enforce
• indorse
• midcourse
• outsource
• perforce
• racecourse
• racehorse
• remorse
• seahorse

Kids Definition

workhorse

noun

work·​horse ˈwərk-ˌhȯ(ə)rs 

1

: a horse used for hard work (as on a farm)

2

a

: a person who does most of the work of a group task

b

: something that is useful, durable, or dependable