Synonyms of drudgery

drudgery

noun

ˈdrəj-rē 

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

• labor
• effort
• toil
• slavery
• sweat
• drudge
• fatigue
• grind
• pains
• exertion
• struggle
• travail
• moil
• trouble
• responsibility
• job
• donkeywork
• tedium
• duty
• obligation
• chore
• spadework
• treadmill
• routine

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rest
• fun
• leisure
• ease
• play
• relaxation
• decompression
• entertainment
• amusement
• recreation
• diversion
• repose
• sport
• idleness
• inertia
• inactivity
• dalliance
• dormancy
• loafing
• inertness
• dallying
• lounging
• goldbricking
• lolling

Synonym Chooser

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of drudgery

Enduring drudgery requires discipline, Bronin owns the patent on that. — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 15 Aug. 2026

Like its name suggests, Don’t Let Disco pieces act as talismans of joy, connection, and emotion against the drudgery of regular life. — Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 5 Aug. 2026

In Pogacar, we are blessed with one of the most aggressive yellow jerseys in history, responsible for dragging cycling from the tactical drudgery of the 2010s. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 27 July 2026

Many leaders are rightly enthusiastic about how AI can help reduce burnout, eliminate drudgery and free people up for more meaningful work. — Carrie Varoquiers, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026