chore

American  

[chawr, chohr] / tʃɔr, tʃoʊr /

noun

1. a small or odd job; routine task.

   Synonyms:

   stint, errand, work, duty

2. chores, the everyday work around a house or farm.

3. a hard or unpleasant task.

   Solving the problem was quite a chore.

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chore ¹ British  

/ tʃɔː /

noun

1. a small routine task, esp a domestic one

2. an unpleasant task

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-chore ² British  

combining form

1. (in botany) indicating a plant distributed by a certain means

   anemochore

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Related Words

See task.

Other Word Forms

• -chorous combining form

Etymology

Origin of chore

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English char, Old English cyrr, variant of cierr, cerr. See char ³

Example Sentences

Brands are trying to elevate brushing and flossing from a tedious chore to an indulgent ritual.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

These little gestures are not a chore; they are the backstage work that lets the night shine.

From Salon • Feb. 10, 2026

For the spouse handling the finances, it might sound like a big chore, but it can actually be a way to put down the mental load.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 10, 2026

It's a chore we all have to do regularly but in 1975 Nationwide went grocery shopping with a couple who bought all their supplies yearly rather than weekly.

From BBC • Jan. 23, 2026

As my friends and I ate and gossiped, she often stood by quietly, engaged in some household chore, not hiding the fact that she was taking in every word.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• assignment
• burden
• duty
• errand
• housework
• routine
• workout