DRUDGERY Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'drudgery' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of drudgery are grind , labor , toil , travail , and work . While all these words mean "activity involving effort or exertion," drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor. // an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

Q: When might 'grind' be a better fit than 'drudgery'?

The synonyms grind and drudgery are sometimes interchangeable, but grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body. // the grind of the assembly line

Q: When is it sensible to use 'labor' instead of 'drudgery'?

While the synonyms labor and drudgery are close in meaning, labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion. // farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

Q: Where would 'toil' be a reasonable alternative to 'drudgery'?

Although the words toil and drudgery have much in common, toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor. // his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

Q: In what contexts can 'travail' take the place of 'drudgery'?

The words travail and drudgery can be used in similar contexts, but travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering. // years of travail were lost when the house burned

Q: When would 'work' be a good substitute for 'drudgery'?

In some situations, the words work and drudgery are roughly equivalent. However, work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force. // too tired to do any work

drudgery

noun

ˈdrəj-rē

Definition of drudgery

as in labor

very hard or unpleasant work in the "good old days" household servants led lives filled with much drudgery and little pleasure

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the noun drudgery contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of drudgery are grind, labor, toil, travail, and work. While all these words mean "activity involving effort or exertion," drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor.

an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

When might grind be a better fit than drudgery?

The synonyms grind and drudgery are sometimes interchangeable, but grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body.

the grind of the assembly line

When is it sensible to use labor instead of drudgery?

While the synonyms labor and drudgery are close in meaning, labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.

farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

Where would toil be a reasonable alternative to drudgery?

Although the words toil and drudgery have much in common, toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor.

his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

In what contexts can travail take the place of drudgery?

The words travail and drudgery can be used in similar contexts, but travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering.

years of travail were lost when the house burned

When would work be a good substitute for drudgery?

In some situations, the words work and drudgery are roughly equivalent. However, work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force.

too tired to do any work

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of drudgery So Mittelman looks forward to the last summer before college, the one time the drudgery of high school won’t loom. — Shun Graves, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2026 The Fed researchers applied this framework to the drudgeries of entry-level work, arguing that the experience is foundational to building up expertise required for senior roles. — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 21 May 2026 As a break from the drudgery of surviving a fraught postgraduate landscape, Harris sought refuge in her imagination. — Lovia Gyarkye, IndieWire, 16 May 2026 And then in parallel sequences, someone’s just doing the drudgery. — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for drudgery

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drudgery

Noun

Advocates viewed Cal/OSHA’S recognition of the detainees as workers as a victory that could pave the way for future labor rights fights at other detention centers in the state.

— Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
In response to the labor violations miners faced, Buh founded the American Slovene Catholic Union.

— Vivian Wilson, Twin Cities, 8 July 2026

Definition of labor

Noun

Bellingham deserves a mention, too; his tireless running in-behind defences has created space for Kane all through the tournament, while his colossal defensive efforts have helped to maintain balance across the team.

— Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 11 July 2026
The organization is a main backer of the measure and has supported efforts in other states to prohibit individualized prices for people based on certain personal information.

— Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 11 July 2026

Definition of effort

Noun

Audit which MLOps automations cut toil versus which just shifted work to data scientists.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Pure white cloth, born in the murderous toil of slavery, formed in debilitating factory conditions, and finished through the agony of Sicilian children, was bleached in more ways than one.

— Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 15 June 2026

Definition of toil

Noun

Last month, Mottley led a subcommittee of Caribbean leaders that launched a new slavery reparations manifesto during a reparations conference in Ghana.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
Clark accused some board members of whitewashing history after Young amended the curriculum to remove one definition of slavery for third-graders, citing redundancy.

— Rachel Royster. Produced with AI assistance, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 July 2026

Definition of slavery

Noun

Although free labor can help a candidate win, volunteers are also seen as a source of risk, best restricted to such drudge work as phone banking or door knocking.

— Charles Duhigg, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Workers may be hoping that AI can finally take over their drudge work in the new year—ease their loads and shorten the workweek, or at least make more space for life outside the office.

— Preston Fore, Fortune, 23 Dec. 2025

Definition of drudge

Noun

Located near Cleveland and Akron, Cuyahoga Valley National Park allows visitors to escape the daily grind of urban life and immerse themselves in nature.

— Josh Laskin, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026
In a country built on perpetual grind (westward expansion, the machismo of the highway), the motorcycle distills that promise to its essence.

— Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 July 2026

Definition of grind

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drudgers

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drudges

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“Drudgery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drudgery. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of drudgery

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