taskmaster
Americannoun
-
a person whose function it is to assign tasks, especially burdensome ones, to others.
-
a person who supervises rigorously the work of others.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of taskmaster
Explanation
A taskmaster is someone who makes you work very hard — maybe too hard. If your parents tell you and your siblings to shovel the driveway after a blizzard, even though it's freezing outside, they're definitely taskmasters. Anyone who imposes a task, or job, might be described as a taskmaster. The term usually refers to someone who forces workers to do especially harsh tasks. In A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge is a taskmaster who makes Bob Cratchett work late on Christmas Eve. And a soccer coach who pushes her players extra hard could also be described as a taskmaster. Dating from the 16th century, taskmaster comes from Latin roots meaning "labor" and "director."
Vocabulary lists containing taskmaster
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.
Sitcom actors, Taskmaster contestants, Edinburgh Fringe Festival winners and familiar panel show faces are among the stars who will appear on the British version of Saturday Night Live.
From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026
As soon as I heard the idea for the show, as a "Taskmaster" fan, you're like, "I would love to watch that."
From Salon • Jan. 15, 2025
You recently became the host for "Junior Taskmaster."
From Salon • Jan. 15, 2025
Wang, 31, whose TV duties include Live at the Apollo, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and Taskmaster, insists it's not a memoir, as his life doesn't merit one.
From BBC • Sep. 11, 2021
Holding himself on trust or on commission, he must needs report himself, not only to his great Taskmaster, but also from time to time to men, his expectant and impatient beneficiaries.
From Milton by Raleigh, Walter Alexander, Sir
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.
