elbow grease

noun

: hard work

There is just no substitution for the elbow grease involved in promotion. You just have to get out there and work hard to get the word to the stores that the book is available.

—Andy Shafran

especially : vigorously applied physical labor or effort

Best of all, the metal handle is bendable, making it easy to defat liquids of varying depths. Kudos to a kitchen tool that spares elbow grease.

—Grace Young

Synonyms of elbow grease

• effort
• work
• pains

Examples of elbow grease in a Sentence

It's going to take some elbow grease to get this counter clean.

with a little polish and a lot of elbow grease, I was able to make the old silver teapot shine again

Recent Examples on the Web

The formula will work overnight—and sans elbow grease—to keep your shower cleaner. —Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 10 May 2026

But, for those with a vision and a willingness to put in a little bit of elbow grease, a flea market can be a treasure trove of solid brass, bronze, and glass hardware. —Heather Bien, Southern Living, 8 May 2026

Forget pluck, elbow grease and a little old-fashioned hard work. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026

Obviously, Valve and SteamOS are just a small piece of the Linux gaming pie, and most Windows PCs can be turned into Linux systems with a USB stick and some elbow grease. —ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for elbow grease

• altarpiece
• centerpiece
• frontispiece
• mantelpiece
• masterpiece
• pilates
• specialise
• stabilise
• syntheses
• apiece
• aris
• assise

Kids Definition

elbow grease

noun

: forceful effort in doing physical labor