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

• 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

There’s even a rare discount on this Roomba robot vacuum and mop, which is the ideal gadget for anyone looking to thoroughly clean their floors without elbow grease. —Clara McMahon, People.com, 2 July 2025

While vacuum cleaners and spin mops work wonders on floors, tackling the hidden nooks and crannies behind the faucet, in the shower, and around floor tiles usually requires a bit more elbow grease. —Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 27 June 2025

Sometimes, this can involve a minor touch-up, such as adding a bit of fresh soil, but at other times, these maintenance tasks require more elbow grease and finesse. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 June 2025

How To Clean The Inside Of A Glass Oven Door Cleaning the inside of your oven door is easy but may require some elbow grease. —Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 19 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for elbow grease

• altarpiece
• centerpiece
• frontispiece
• mantelpiece
• masterpiece
• pilates
• summarise
• syntheses
• apiece
• aris
• assise
• caprice

Kids Definition

elbow grease

noun

: forceful effort in doing physical labor