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 36-year-old workhorse, who led the MLB with 79 appearances in 2024, was pitching to a 5.23 ERA in 18 games to start the season. —Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 6 June 2025

Just remember to invest in a good sharpener and sharpen regularly to keep this cheap workhorse in tip-top shape. —Molly Higgins, Wired News, 2 May 2025

For his five-furlong breeze in company — meaning, with a workhorse stablemate alongside — Mott had Sovereignty kept in hand, and the colt clocked an intentionally slow 1:01.8. —Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025

Later came Balthazar, his Soho workhorse, which opened in 1997 and was almost named Brasserie Lafayette. —Dwight Garner, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025

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