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

Skattebo began the year as the backup running back but quickly worked his way into becoming the workhorse of the Giants’ offense, recording 101 carries for 410 yards and five touchdowns through the first half of his rookie campaign. —Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025

Nvidia pioneered the transformation of GPUs, originally designed for gaming, into the workhorses of modern AI systems, securing a dominant position in the field. —Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025

Head coach Riley Dodge said his workhorse back is fully recovered. —Mike Waters, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2025

The bulb vegetable is a workhorse used on sandwiches, burgers, tacos, and nachos as well as in sauces, salads, meatloaf, and more. —Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 14 Oct. 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