chore
noun
a small or odd job; routine task.
chore
1
British
/ tʃɔː /
noun
-
a small routine task, esp a domestic one
-
an unpleasant task
-chore
2
British
combining form
Synonym Usage
See task.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of chore
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English char, Old English cyrr, variant of cierr, cerr. See char 3
Explanation
A chore is a duty or task you’re obligated to perform, often one that is unpleasant but necessary. Washing the dishes is a chore, and so is completing a homework assignment you aren’t excited about. Sometimes a thing that you wanted to do can become a chore if it ceases to be fun or interesting. Maybe Napoleon felt that conquering nations had become a chore by the time he was defeated in the Battle of Waterloo. The noun chore dates from the 18th century, when there were fewer appliances and more household tasks that needed to be done.
Vocabulary lists containing chore
A Single Shard
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Elijah of Buxton
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Sula
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He says he outsourced the "chore" to an AI agent - a tool that can carry out online tasks autonomously.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
It can be a tedious but illuminating chore that will help you become more aware of where your money is going.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
But the World Cup came to seem more like a chore by the time Murphy’s successor, Sherrill, took office in January after campaigning with a laser focus on affordability.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 17, 2026
Almodóvar is seated behind his desk, wearing a crisp white T-shirt under a tan chore coat.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026
She found it was generally more difficult showing Ess how to do a chore than it had ever been to just do it herself.
From "Orphan Island" by Laurel Snyder
“Within the anime, there are daemons that help and assist the chores of daily life, and that to me I find quite attractive. Like folding the laundry.”
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
Buddhism-themed tourism is thriving and tens of thousands of locals and foreigners sign up every year for "temple stay" retreats where they eat simple monastic food, do chores and meditate.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
They have their uses, he says, but will never be able to tackle complicated situations in the real world, like getting a robot to do household chores.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
Doing laundry, cleaning the tub, getting your upper lip waxed at a nearby salon — these are all chores that fall into this category.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
Engrossed one day in these practical chores, he was shocked to see the owl again, up on a branch in a tree near his house.
From "Abel's Island" by William Steig
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
