noun
-
a small routine task, esp a domestic one
-
an unpleasant task
combining form
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
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.
But, with taxpayers busy with the hated chore of filing their annual returns, it’s a good time to take a look back at the testy relationship between Americans and taxes.
From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026
Her answer was definite: We should sort out and sell or give away almost all of our trinkets, T-shirts, books and baubles before we die—rather than leaving a dreary chore for friends or families.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 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
Now that she really looks, now that the land is not simply her day’s chore to cross, the fields roll and stretch below the large sky.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
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.
