✨📕 The NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Learn More!
✨📕 The NEW Collegiate Dictionary — Learn More!

by the sweat of one's brow

idiom

: by doing hard, physical work
He earned his money by the sweat of his brow.

Browse Nearby Words

by the skin of one's teeth
by the sweat of one's brow
by the time
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“By the sweat of one's brow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/by%20the%20sweat%20of%20one%27s%20brow. Accessed 18 Dec. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What’s the difference between ‘cemetery’ and ‘graveyard’?

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ten Kinds of Happiness

17 Words for Dog Breeds

Birds Say the Darndest Things

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Better Ways to Say 'This Sucks'
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Ten Kinds of Happiness

17 Words for Dog Breeds
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
serval
Name That Animal: Volume 3 Who’s who of the zoo crew
See All