workhorse

noun

work·​horse ˈwərk-ˌhȯrs 

1

: a horse used chiefly for labor as distinguished from driving, riding, or racing

2

a(1)

: a person who performs most of the work of a group task

(2)

: a hardworking person

b

: something that is markedly useful, durable, or dependable

c

: horse sense 7

Examples of workhorse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The membrane, a layer of material sandwiched between the exterior of the boot and the lining, is the workhorse. —Alisha McDarris, Outside, 7 Mar. 2026

Blends are kind of the workhorse of the Irish whiskey category, a common and affordable style that doesn’t always have a lot of complexity to it. —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2026

At 6 feet 5 inches tall and nearly 220 pounds, the 27-year-old is built like the prototypical workhorse pitcher. —Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026

MacBook Pro This is the workhorse from Apple's stable, available in 14- and 16-inch variants with loads of options to configure the internals. —New Atlas, 4 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for workhorse

• concourse
• divorce
• endorse
• enforce
• indorse
• midcourse
• outsource
• perforce
• racecourse
• racehorse
• remorse
• seahorse

Kids Definition

workhorse

noun

work·​horse ˈwərk-ˌhȯ(ə)rs 

1

: a horse used for hard work (as on a farm)

2

a

: a person who does most of the work of a group task

b

: something that is useful, durable, or dependable