drudgery

[druhj-uh-ree]

See more synonyms for drudgery on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural drudg·er·ies.

menial, distasteful, dull, or hard work.

Origin of drudgery

First recorded in 1540–50; drudge + -ery

Synonyms

See more synonyms for drudgery on Thesaurus.com

See work.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for drudgery

Contemporary Examples

We coo over how cute our cat is and minimize the drudgery of cleaning the litter box.
Why Didn’t Camille Dump Bill Cosby?
Amanda Marcotte
December 17, 2014
That is said with zero disrespect for the hard work, and often drudgery, that those jobs entail.
Jobs Report Shows Unemployment Steady, but There’s Underlying Trouble
Zachary Karabell
March 9, 2012
For many Afghan women, a life of violence, drudgery and ill health is the best they can expect.
Will Fawzia Koofi Be Afghanistan's First Female President?
Fawzia Koofi
January 6, 2012
On Monday she was scheduled for a full day of press to promote the series, drudgery under the best of circumstances.
Supermodel Iman Walked Out on Me
Kevin Sessums
November 10, 2010
And then there are folks like Wesselman-Pierce who just want a break from the drudgery of real life.
Catfish's Photo Fraud Victim
Gina Piccalo
October 4, 2010

Historical Examples

Money was needful to extricate him from this drudgery and let him follow up his aspirations.
Heroes of the Telegraph
J. Munro
Why is it that the others have all the fun and I all the drudgery?
The Fortune Hunter
Louis Joseph Vance
To this drudgery of his art he served a long apprenticeship; but it did him good.
Self-Help
Samuel Smiles
He did the cooking for the other men in the fort, the dish-washing and the drudgery.
White Fang
Jack London
I broke lose for one day from routine, from drudgery and harness.
The First Violin
Jessie Fothergill

British Dictionary definitions for drudgery

drudgery

noun plural -eries

hard, menial, and monotonous work

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

Word Origin and History for drudgery

n.

1540s, from drudge + -ery.

drudgery

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}drudgery

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for drudgery

Contemporary Examples

We coo over how cute our cat is and minimize the drudgery of cleaning the litter box.

That is said with zero disrespect for the hard work, and often drudgery, that those jobs entail.

For many Afghan women, a life of violence, drudgery and ill health is the best they can expect.

On Monday she was scheduled for a full day of press to promote the series, drudgery under the best of circumstances.

And then there are folks like Wesselman-Pierce who just want a break from the drudgery of real life.

Historical Examples

Money was needful to extricate him from this drudgery and let him follow up his aspirations.

Why is it that the others have all the fun and I all the drudgery?

To this drudgery of his art he served a long apprenticeship; but it did him good.

He did the cooking for the other men in the fort, the dish-washing and the drudgery.

I broke lose for one day from routine, from drudgery and harness.

drudgery

Word Origin and History for drudgery

n.

Origin of drudgery