drudgery

noun

drudg·​ery ˈdrəj-rē 

ˈdrə-jə-rē

plural drudgeries

: dull, irksome, and fatiguing work : uninspiring or menial labor

the drudgery of his job

Synonyms of drudgery

• labor
• effort
• toil
• slavery
• sweat
• drudge
• fatigue
• grind
• pains

Choose the Right Synonym for drudgery

work, labor, travail, toil, drudgery, grind mean activity involving effort or exertion.

work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force.

too tired to do any work

labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.

farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering.

years of travail were lost when the house burned

toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor.

his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor.

an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body.

the grind of the assembly line

Examples of drudgery in a Sentence

He hated the drudgery of his job.

in the “good old days” household servants led lives filled with much drudgery and little pleasure

Recent Examples on the Web

These women, including Mary Ann M’Clintock, Amelia Bloomer, and Martha Coffin Wright, provided a respite from the drudgery of child rearing. —Moira Donegan, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026

Back in 2023, food writer Tejal Rao called out how Noma’s trophy dishes like its fruit beetle were the result of hours-long unpaid drudgery. —Shindy Chen march 13, Charlotte Observer, 13 Mar. 2026

The Heat’s monotonous march to a potential fourth consecutive play-in tournament has felt like drudgery at times. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026

The film’s only nomination went to John Travolta for his performance as Tony Manero, a young Brooklyn man who escaped the drudgery of his job and his home life every night at a local disco. —Paul Grein, Billboard, 27 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see drudge entry 1

First Known Use

1550, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

drudgery

noun

drudg·​ery ˈdrəj-(ə-)rē 

plural drudgeries

: hard or dull work