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

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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 Like its name suggests, Don’t Let Disco pieces act as talismans of joy, connection, and emotion against the drudgery of regular life. — Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 5 Aug. 2026 In Pogacar, we are blessed with one of the most aggressive yellow jerseys in history, responsible for dragging cycling from the tactical drudgery of the 2010s. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 27 July 2026 Many leaders are rightly enthusiastic about how AI can help reduce burnout, eliminate drudgery and free people up for more meaningful work. — Carrie Varoquiers, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 Sea Rangers offer a Swiss Army knife’s dexterity, pursuing government contracts across the European Union and United Kingdom to tackle the tedium of climate compliance and the drudgery of clearing those backlogs. — Richard Morgan, Time, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for drudgery

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drudgery

Noun

Katarzyna Nowakowska, Poland's deputy minister for family, labor and social policy, told the AP that the most vulnerable applicants still receive direct help from the state and any other refugees needing support should turn to social workers.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
As the Lindsay Clancy murder trial approaches closing arguments, jurors will soon be asked to decide whether the former labor-and-delivery nurse is criminally responsible for killing her three small children in January 2023.

— Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of labor

Noun

Its architecture could contribute to future efforts involving inexpensive rockets produced in much larger quantities.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
Poor Anton has been left out of the drama all day, an effort by Billie and Samir to prevent an already bad futzing from escalating to something severe, and that’s never where Anton likes to be.

— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of effort

Noun

The poem is about how our most worthwhile pursuits—things like art, love, and beauty—often seem to demand a measure of toil.

— Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026
With debts racking up, Ina loses the family’s bus company, forcing her to shift between jobs, from construction to becoming a bar entertainer, therefore forging an identity through toil.

— Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of toil

Noun

Public monuments condemning slavery have been removed, and Confederate names have been restored to Army bases.

— Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Brought to the region to address economic and environmental woes shaped by the ghost of plantation slavery, kudzu was later abandoned as shifting needs rendered the plant unnecessary.

— The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of slavery

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

The platform will be monitored over time to assess how the bamboo composite performs against fatigue, environmental exposure and other stresses encountered offshore.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
Immediate consequences can develop quickly Heat strain may begin with fatigue, headache, dizziness, weakness or nausea and progress to heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

— Julian L. Gallegos, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of fatigue

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“Drudgery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drudgery. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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