taskmaster
Americannoun
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a person whose function it is to assign tasks, especially burdensome ones, to others.
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a person who supervises rigorously the work of others.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of taskmaster
Explanation
A taskmaster is someone who makes you work very hard — maybe too hard. If your parents tell you and your siblings to shovel the driveway after a blizzard, even though it's freezing outside, they're definitely taskmasters. Anyone who imposes a task, or job, might be described as a taskmaster. The term usually refers to someone who forces workers to do especially harsh tasks. In A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge is a taskmaster who makes Bob Cratchett work late on Christmas Eve. And a soccer coach who pushes her players extra hard could also be described as a taskmaster. Dating from the 16th century, taskmaster comes from Latin roots meaning "labor" and "director."
Vocabulary lists containing taskmaster
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.
In the new film, her character embarks on a dangerous mission to confront the darkest corners of her past, alongside a team comprising Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker.
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2025
I got to work with Mike Wozniak on it, and it was scary though because "Taskmaster" fans, they're tough.
From Salon • Jan. 15, 2025
As soon as I heard the idea for the show, as a "Taskmaster" fan, you're like, "I would love to watch that."
From Salon • Jan. 15, 2025
Taskmaster host Alex Horne and his band The Horne Section celebrated the end of Covid-19 restrictions by leading the audience in a mass-participation version of Twister on Friday afternoon.
From BBC • Jul. 23, 2022
Yet the great Taskmaster does not despise the pavers.
From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 09, No. 53, March, 1862 by Various
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.
