drudge

American  

[druhj] / drʌdʒ /

noun

1. a person who does menial, distasteful, dull, or hard work.

2. a person who works in a routine, unimaginative way.

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verb (used without object)

drudged, drudging

1. to perform menial, distasteful, dull, or hard work.

   Synonyms:

   slave, plod, grub, hack, toil

drudge British  

/ drʌdʒ /

noun

1. a person, such as a servant, who works hard at wearisome menial tasks

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verb

1. (intr) to toil at such tasks

Other Word Forms

• drudger
  noun
• drudgingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of drudge

1485–95; compare OE man's name Drycghelm helmet maker, equivalent to drycg (akin to drēogan to work) + helm helm ²

Explanation

A drudge is someone who works very hard, especially at a job that is boring. To drudge is to work hard. One thing just about everyone has in common is complaining about work. Drudges have a little more to complain about than others: a drudge is someone whose job is difficult but isn't very interesting. Factories and coal mines are full of drudges: diligent folks doing work that isn't super-interesting. Such work is often called drudgery. Also, when you're working hard at anything, you can call it drudging. We all drudge when we have something to do that we would rather avoid.

Example Sentences

Both use it to handle drudge work in their own projects.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

Ultimately, this revolution may just reduce drudge work and the number of billable hours spent on relatively simple tasks, freeing people to focus more on lawyering.

From New York Times • May 31, 2023

Apart from drudge paperwork, Peter’s job is to answer a phone that “never rings” — except it does, and it’s Rose.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2023

It will leave the impression that as brilliant and accomplished as you are, you will not be a drudge.

From Washington Post • Jul. 3, 2022

I sat silent, recalling what a drudge she had been until Mr. Wopsle’s great-aunt successfully overcame that bad habit of living, so highly desirable to be got rid of by some people.

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens