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 Tech giants have argued that AI will benefit society by creating new jobs and making people more productive, handling digital drudgery like sifting through emails, writing code, editing photos and catching up on the news. — Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 28 June 2026 Each chapter delves into a different bodily experience that Maglaque herself has lived, from pregnancy to desire to drudgery. — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for drudgery

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drudgery

Noun

Those deductibles go up when hospital prices, drug costs, and labor expenses increase, as insurers try to slow premium growth by shifting more costs to patients.

— Julie Appleby, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
Once sent into rural exile to do manual labor for praising reforms in other communist countries, Zhu pushed through a dizzying array of changes as premier, China’s top economic post, from 1998 to 2003.

— ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of labor

Noun

Albeit in an uncompetitive effort, the Falcons’ 27-7 loss to the Broncos in the preseason opener Friday night offered a glimpse at a vast majority of the team’s roster.

— Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 15 Aug. 2026
General manager Omar Khan has made a concerted effort to build through the trenches on offense and defense.

— Mike DeFabo, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of effort

Noun

Innovation has long relied on the integrity of inventors to ensure the authenticity of their creativity and toil.

— The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Aug. 2026
Outside, a group of tourists paused to watch her toil, then one read the restaurant sign near the door aloud.

— Natalie B. Compton The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 19 July 2026

Definition of toil

Noun

Partial drafts of his work were carried along with him, soaked in Salinger’s sweat and imbued with his raw, instinctive reactions to conflict.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026
Oh, and sweat, bacne, thigh chafing, and, in some cases, a smattering of pesky little bumps in the area above your upper thigh and below your buttcheeks.

— Kara Nesvig, Allure, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of sweat

Noun

In practical terms, the study suggests a preference for agentic AI to simplify drudge work and logistics, such as narrowing choices or suggesting better options, rather than taking full control of emotionally loaded or high-complexity decisions.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 13 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of drudge

Noun

Rangers starter Jacob deGrom, who has been battling a left hip and glute injury since the All-Star break, was pulled after two innings because of right triceps fatigue.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
Investigators also found signs of metal fatigue at the base of the fan blade that broke off, despite recent inspections of the fan blades.

— Kris Van Cleave, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of fatigue

Noun

An espresso machine calls for an extra-fine grind, while a French press or percolator requires a coarse grind.

— BestReviews, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2026
Related Stories There’s often plenty of chatter about whether the younger generation of pop stars has the appetite for the traditional grind of superstardom.

— Emanuel Okusanya, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of grind

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“Drudgery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drudgery. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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