toil 1 of 3

Definition of toilnext

toil

2 of 3

noun (2)

as in tangle
usually toils plural something that catches and holds a married woman hopelessly caught in the toils of an extramarital affair

Synonyms & Similar Words

toil

3 of 3

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun toil contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of toil are drudgery, grind, labor, travail, and work. While all these words mean "activity involving effort or exertion," toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor.

his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

When would drudgery be a good substitute for toil?

Although the words drudgery and toil have much in common, drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor.

an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

When might grind be a better fit than toil?

The words grind and toil can be used in similar contexts, but grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body.

the grind of the assembly line

Where would labor be a reasonable alternative to toil?

The words labor and toil are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.

farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

When could travail be used to replace toil?

While the synonyms travail and toil are close in meaning, travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering.

years of travail were lost when the house burned

When is it sensible to use work instead of toil?

The meanings of work and toil largely overlap; 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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of toil
Noun
Westerners, Arabs and Indians dominate business and finance, while laborers from poor countries in Asia and Africa toil for long hours in scorching temperatures at oil facilities and construction sites — often with few protections. ABC News, 4 May 2026 Some fleeing toil and craving transcendence, others reaffirming a faith long professed. Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
Cassie’s sister Lexi (Maude Apatow) toiled as an assistant on a nighttime soap opera. Alison Herman, Variety, 1 June 2026 The 60-year-old owner of All-Pro Lawnmower Sales, Service & Recycling at 555 Santa Fe Drive in Denver spends his days toiling on small engines. Matthew Geiger, Denver Post, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for toil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toil
Noun
  • Andres Chait, is facing labor deals that will strain future finances.
    Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026
  • The spokesperson noted that labor inspections of working conditions have increased and encouraged houses to remain vigilant and fully compliant with regulations.
    Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 22 June 2026
Noun
  • For instance, pet parents keep an eye out for Amazon vacuums that come with tangle-free brushes to trap loose fur without clogging the motorhead.
    Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 25 June 2026
  • This Levoit vacuum just dropped under $200, and its impressive ability to pick up hair without any tangles is a pet owner’s dream.
    Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • Amid the mutiny in the House, Johnson canceled unrelated votes, struggling to get enough support to move the legislation.
    Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 30 June 2026
  • The Pirates posted a six-run fifth inning against struggling starter Aaron Nola (3-5).
    CBS News, CBS News, 30 June 2026
Noun
  • A bit of a surprise here, as the Warriors were reportedly shopping the 11th pick in an effort to bolster their roster with a win-now player.
    Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 24 June 2026
  • The search stems from a years-long effort by authorities to revisit information connected to Mansfield, whose family lived on Centerwood Avenue in Hernando County.
    Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2026
Noun
  • This is because the infrastructure of the city traps in all of the heat that built up during the day, thus preventing a normal nocturnal cooldown seen in non-urban settings.
    Matthew Villafane, CBS News, 29 June 2026
  • One of the biggest traps organizations fall into is assuming employees already know what behaviors are valued.
    Amee Desjourdy, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Verb
  • Born in Brooklyn, NY, on April 4, 1932, Davis was a striving student who attended New York University on a full scholarship, and graduated magna cum laude.
    Chris Morris, Variety, 22 June 2026
  • Nolan seems to be striving for geographic realism interspersed with violent and fantastic episodes.
    David Denby, New Yorker, 21 June 2026
Noun
  • Because there is so much moisture in the air, your sweat will not evaporate fast enough to naturally cool your body.
    Ahmad Bajjey, CBS News, 27 June 2026
  • By the end of the movie, even something as natural as daylight has become suffused with a heavenly glow, and the beads of sweat on a dying body sparkle with a beauty that Emily had never been able to find anywhere else in her tragedy of a life.
    David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 26 June 2026
Noun
  • Police say the violence on Sydney’s streets is being orchestrated from abroad – and teenagers are being lured into the complex web of gang warfare with the promise of fast cash.
    Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 26 June 2026
  • Meanwhile, security vendors are moving post-quantum protection from theory into live enterprise security platforms by embedding quantum-safe encryption into secure access service edge (SASE), zero trust, secure web gateways and wide area network (WAN) connectivity.
    Michelle Drolet, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Toil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toil. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.

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