TOIL Synonyms: 143 Similar and Opposite Words

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

Some common synonyms of toil are drudgery , grind , labor , travail , and work . While all these words mean "activity involving effort or exertion," toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor. // his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

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

Although the words drudgery and toil have much in common, drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor. // an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

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

The words grind and toil can be used in similar contexts, but grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body. // the grind of the assembly line

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

The words labor and toil are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion. // farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

Q: When could 'travail' be used to replace 'toil'?

While the synonyms travail and toil are close in meaning, travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering. // years of travail were lost when the house burned

Q: When is it sensible to use 'work' instead of 'toil'?

The meanings of work and toil largely overlap; however, work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force. // too tired to do any work

toil 1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈtȯi(-ə)l

Definition of toil

as in labor

very hard or unpleasant work after years of toil in a sweatshop, Kim was finally able to start her own dressmaking business

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

toil

2 of 3

noun (2)

as in tangle

usually toils plural something that catches and holds a married woman hopelessly caught in the toils of an extramarital affair

Synonyms & Similar Words

toil

3 of 3

verb

as in to labor

to devote serious and sustained effort toiled for many years on the mammoth outdoor sculpture

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How does the noun toil contrast with its synonyms?

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

his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

When would drudgery be a good substitute for toil?

Although the words drudgery and toil have much in common, drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor.

an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

When might grind be a better fit than toil?

The words grind and toil can be used in similar contexts, but grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body.

the grind of the assembly line

Where would labor be a reasonable alternative to toil?

The words labor and toil are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.

farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

When could travail be used to replace toil?

While the synonyms travail and toil are close in meaning, travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering.

years of travail were lost when the house burned

When is it sensible to use work instead of toil?

The meanings of work and toil largely overlap; 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 toil

Noun

First and foremost, breaks from the stress and toil of work are essential components of healing from burnout. — Dj Didonna, Time, 13 July 2026 Routine operational toil is being automated, allowing teams to focus on system design, cost management, and higher-level architecture. — Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 8 July 2026

Verb

But as pole-sitter Norris toiled behind Piastri, having lost the lead on Lap 1 of 70 with a big slide at Turn 2, his view was squarely on the rear of the sister McLaren while keeping an eye on Max Verstappen’s Red Bull in his mirrors. — Luke Smith, New York Times, 27 July 2026 Anthony Hernandez toils in the brutish profession that is a mixed martial arts fighter, no wimps allowed. — Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 25 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for toil

Recent Examples of Synonyms for toil

Noun

The sales of these high-profile teams are becoming central to the ongoing labor dispute.

— Maury Brown, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
July retail sales were the weakest since May 2025, while recent labor-market data has also pointed toward cooling conditions.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of labor

Noun

Penske has designed tracks through city blocks, but never through both federal and municipal grounds with a tangle of buildings that include the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission and the National Archives.

— Adam Kilgore, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
The diminutive Taiwanese market-slash-lunch counter Taiwan Best Mart’s cold sesame noodles ($13) are a refreshing tangle of cucumbers, carrots, cilantro, scallions, sesame seeds, flour noodles and the market’s house sesame sauce.

— Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of tangle

Verb

According to the court document, the fraud scheme started with recruiting young women who were homeless or struggling with addiction, housing or finances.

— Adam Duxter, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Even as Brandon Marsh struggled against lefties, he was allowed to hit against tough relievers late in games.

— Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of struggle

Noun

Sleeping on your stomach or side presses your face into a pillowcase full of oil, sweat and product residue, which can clog pores, cause breakouts and eventually contribute to wrinkles.

— Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Even worse than high temperatures is high humidity, which prevents sweat from evaporating and cooling the body.

— Scott McFetridge, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of sweat

Noun

Jurin keeps working after the conversation ends—across phone, email, web chat and LINE, the messaging app used by the vast majority of Japan’s population—connecting plain language to the software that acts.

— Jurin AI Contributor, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
There appears to be no indication the scammer or scammers behind this web of deception are anywhere close to slowing down.

— Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of web

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to hand

toil

toiled

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“Toil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toil. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of toil

noun (1)

noun (2)

verb

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