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Showing results for housework. Search instead for do housework.
Synonyms

housework

American  
[hous-wurk] / ˈhaʊsˌwɜrk /

noun

  1. the work of cleaning, cooking, etc., to be done in housekeeping.


housework British  
/ ˈhaʊsˌwɜːk /

noun

  1. the work of running a home, such as cleaning, cooking, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of housework

First recorded in 1570–80; house + work

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:

Many of you are doing it responsibly, too: The overwhelming majority are taking care of housework or laundry, while running errands was the second-most common piece of personal business being done during professional time.

From MarketWatch Jun. 30, 2026

In terms of time spent doing housework, however, Japanese men rank the lowest among highly-developed countries.

From BBC Jun. 19, 2026

"Who else will give you 250 rupees an hour just for doing housework?" said Sriramyachandra from her kitchen in Chennai in southern India's Tamil Nadu state.

From Barron's Jun. 11, 2026

Women’s workplace gains are likely playing an equal role, along with personal preferences, in driving men to spend more time on housework, said Misty Heggeness, an economist at the University of Kansas.

From The Wall Street Journal May 23, 2026

I throw in a dab of secondhand Buddhism remembered from a friend’s account of a monastery in northern California where rich people pay to spend their weekends meditating and doing various menial chores, housework included.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

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