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

Of course, in this town, a lot of people have heard of Todd Young, because he's actually been a workhorse, he's gotten a lot done. —CBS News, 7 June 2026

Such a capability would be momentous, according to Mueller, who led the teams that developed SpaceX's workhorse Merlin engine and Draco thruster back in the day. —Mike Wall, Space.com, 2 June 2026

The Long March 2, 3, and 4 rockets were China’s workhorses in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. —Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 2 June 2026

Woolery, the nation’s RBIs leader, homered twice and drove in five runs for UCLA (53-10), which got nine innings and 181 pitches from workhorse Taylor Tinsley. —Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 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
• racehorse
• remorse
• seahorse
• workforce

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