donkey work
noun
tedious, repetitious work; drudgery.
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donkey work
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donkey-work
donkey-worknoungroundwork
donkey work
American
Also
donkeywork
noun
donkey-work
British
noun
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groundwork
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US equivalent: draft-mule work. drudgery
Etymology
Origin of donkey work
First recorded in 1915–20
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.
Donkeys and donkey work are essential to the livelihoods of people in developing countries, but elsewhere donkeys have all but disappeared.
From New York Times • Mar. 14, 2023
With the right service, he gives them a greater threat from set-pieces but also takes the pressure off his strike partner because he can do all the donkey work.
From BBC • Dec. 7, 2014
This seems an excellent use of a computer to do the donkey work for us, but unfortunately it does not get rid of all the labor.
From Scientific American • Aug. 23, 2011
Bent does not mind doing the donkey work that system requires, making himself available as an outlet for the team, though he does not deny that goals are his main line of work.
From The Guardian • Oct. 6, 2010
I can do all the donkey work, but I’ve got no head for business.
From The Phantom Lover by Ayres, Ruby M. (Ruby Mildred)
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.
