drudgery

noun

drudg·ery ˈdrəj-rē

ˈdrə-jə-rē

plural drudgeries

Synonyms of drudgery

: dull, irksome, and fatiguing work : uninspiring or menial labor

the drudgery of his job

Choose the Right Synonym for drudgery

work, labor, travail, toil, drudgery, grind mean activity involving effort or exertion.

work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force.

too tired to do any work

labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.

farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering.

years of travail were lost when the house burned

toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor.

his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor.

an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body.

the grind of the assembly line

Examples of drudgery in a Sentence

He hated the drudgery of his job. in the “good old days” household servants led lives filled with much drudgery and little pleasure

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

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 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 See All Example Sentences for drudgery

Word History

Etymology

see drudge entry 1

First Known Use

1550, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of drudgery was in 1550

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

drudge

drudgery

drudging

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Drudgery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drudgery. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

drudgery

noun

drudg·ery ˈdrəj-(ə-)rē

plural drudgeries

: hard or dull work

drudgery

noun

Synonyms of drudgery

Examples of drudgery in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

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