schlep

American  

[shlep] / ʃlɛp /

Also schlepp sometimes shlep,

verb (used with object)

Slang.

schlepped, schlepping

1. to carry; lug.

   to schlep an umbrella on a sunny day.

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verb (used without object)

Slang.

schlepped, schlepping

1. to move slowly, awkwardly, or tediously.

   We schlepped from store to store all day.

noun

Slang.

1. Also schlepper. someone or something that is tedious, slow, or awkward.

schlep British  

/ ʃlɛp /

verb

1. to drag or lug (oneself or an object) with difficulty

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noun

1. a stupid or clumsy person

2. an arduous journey or procedure

Etymology

Origin of schlep

First recorded in 1910–15; from Yiddish shlepn “to pull, drag, (intransitive) trudge,” from German schleppen, “to draw, tug, haul”; akin to slip ¹, slippery

Explanation

When you schlep something, you lug or carry it with difficulty. If your taxi can't make it up an icy hill, you might have to schlep your groceries all the way up to your house. If you schlep something, it's either awkward or heavy — or both. You have to pull or drag or tug things when you schlep them. You can also describe an awkward, long, or rough trip as a schlep: "It's such a schlep to get down Grandma's road during mud season." The word has a Yiddish root, shlepen, "to drag," from the Germanic sleifen, also "to drag."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

schlep schlepped schlepping

You can’t beat the price: $9 one way from Framingham and no bags to schlep except carry-ons.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026

Yiddish, the language spoken by Ashkenazi Jews across Europe before the Holocaust, is now perhaps best known to many English speakers through words such as "schlep", "klutz" and "chutzpah".

From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2025

This was true, but we had underestimated two variables: December in Chicago and our motivation to schlep boxes after a seven-hour drive in a U-haul.

From Salon ● Dec. 5, 2024

Before we know it, though, the long schlep home will begin – via Hawaii, California and Winnipeg - and Westminster’s tilt towards the Budget will become total.

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2024

“Anyway, I’m guessing you didn’t schlep all the way out here just to listen to me talk business. What are you doing here?”

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

I schlepped in oversized bags of flour and sugar to make cranberry-orange and pumpkin-chocolate loaves for Christmas—leaving a fine dusting of powder in the pantry.

From Salon ● Mar. 19, 2026

Lader, 40, described "grabbing babies who were being schlepped across the street, and finding parents who were hysterical that their kids weren't here."

From Barron's ● Mar. 13, 2026

He went on tours with me, built my bed and schlepped all my clothes over from Hollywood.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 23, 2026

He and his wife have schlepped materials home by train, “five big valises recently from Prague.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 9, 2026

Then he was schlepped out to the hospital on an emergency helicopter ride because he was close to death … but at the hospital, there he was, sitting at a desk again, doing president stuff.

From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2022

Maybe the best way to understand what Dudamel has meant to L.A. and what L.A. has meant to Dudamel was his unimaginable schlepping of the L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

How would I fare later, schlepping a precious martini into the living room?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 18, 2025

With its Golden Gate Bridge views, the beach is a magnet for wedding parties, such as one seen schlepping across an empty parking lot after a photo shoot this week.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2025

Once you understand that “Conclave” is “Mean Girls,” schlepping to a theater becomes much more appealing.

From Salon ● Nov. 22, 2024

And in her defense, she said it had been a long, wet day schlepping through monsoon floods.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon