drudge

1 of 2

verb

ˈdrəj 

drudged; drudging

intransitive verb

: to do hard, menial, or monotonous work

transitive verb

: to force to do hard, menial, or monotonous work

drudger noun

drudge

2 of 2

noun

1

: one who is obliged to do menial work

2

: one whose work is routine and boring

3

: menial or tedious labor

Synonyms

Verb

• bang away
• beaver (away)
• dig (away)
• endeavor
• fag
• grub
• hump
• hustle
• labor
• moil
• peg (away)
• plod
• plow
• plug
• slave
• slog
• strain
• strive
• struggle
• sweat
• toil
• travail
• tug
• work

Noun

• dogsbody [chiefly British]
• drone
• drudger
• foot soldier
• grub
• grubber
• grunt
• laborer
• peon
• plugger
• slave
• slogger
• toiler
• worker

Examples of drudge in a Sentence

Verb

factory workers who must drudge all day at repetitive tasks

Noun

She was tired of working as an office drudge.

worked like a drudge at a low-paying job that had few benefits

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

After months of drudging through renovations, the Tiki Taco team will soon enjoy the (jack)fruits of its labor. —Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 5 Feb. 2024

Aren’t those who drudge away at them anything but harmless? —David Harsanyi, National Review, 8 June 2023

Noun

Freed from drudge work, these workers should be empowered to focus on more creative tasks and problem-solving. —Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 7 Aug. 2024

Finally, give the drone scouts the drudge work, such as tediously scouring a large area. —Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 9 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English druggen

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

drudge

1 of 2 verb

ˈdrəj 

drudged; drudging

: to do hard or dull work

drudger noun

drudge

2 of 2 noun

: a person who drudges