TOIL Synonyms: 143 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'toil' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of toil are drudgery , grind , labor , travail , and work . While all these words mean "activity involving effort or exertion," toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor. // his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

Q: When would 'drudgery' be a good substitute for 'toil'?

Although the words drudgery and toil have much in common, drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor. // an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

Q: When might 'grind' be a better fit than 'toil'?

The words grind and toil can be used in similar contexts, but grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body. // the grind of the assembly line

Q: Where would 'labor' be a reasonable alternative to 'toil'?

The words labor and toil are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion. // farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

Q: When could 'travail' be used to replace 'toil'?

While the synonyms travail and toil are close in meaning, travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering. // years of travail were lost when the house burned

Q: When is it sensible to use 'work' instead of 'toil'?

The meanings of work and toil largely overlap; however, work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force. // too tired to do any work

toil 1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈtȯi(-ə)l

Definition of toil next

as in labor

very hard or unpleasant work after years of toil in a sweatshop, Kim was finally able to start her own dressmaking business

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

toil

2 of 3

noun (2)

as in tangle

usually toils plural something that catches and holds a married woman hopelessly caught in the toils of an extramarital affair

Synonyms & Similar Words

toil

3 of 3

verb

as in to labor

to devote serious and sustained effort toiled for many years on the mammoth outdoor sculpture

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How does the noun toil contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of toil are drudgery, grind, labor, travail, and work. While all these words mean "activity involving effort or exertion," toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor.

his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

When would drudgery be a good substitute for toil?

Although the words drudgery and toil have much in common, drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor.

an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

When might grind be a better fit than toil?

The words grind and toil can be used in similar contexts, but grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body.

the grind of the assembly line

Where would labor be a reasonable alternative to toil?

The words labor and toil are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.

farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

When could travail be used to replace toil?

While the synonyms travail and toil are close in meaning, travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering.

years of travail were lost when the house burned

When is it sensible to use work instead of toil?

The meanings of work and toil largely overlap; however, work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force.

too tired to do any work

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of toil

Noun

Soft blue eyes; hair brown and profuse; moustache and beard; a rosy face, not without some lines stamped upon it by toil, exposure and care. . —

Matthew Karp, Harper's Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024 The secondary benefit is reducing toil for multiple teams, which in turn reduces burnout and employee turnover while freeing them up to support real and meaningful changes that improve security programs and posture. —

Bob Tinker, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024

Verb

Actors from the show, including Scott, Britt Lower, John Turturro, and Zach Cherry, toiled in their tiny office with Patricia Arquette and Tramell Tillman, who play their bosses, overseeing their work. —

Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 15 Jan. 2025 In a Texas border town wasteland, circa 2038, reading has been outlawed and a powerful big tech tycoon has forced all mothers to toil at a toxic fish cannery. —

Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for toil

Recent Examples of Synonyms for toil

Verb

Last year, President Joe Biden and presidential candidate Kamala Harris labored to persuade voters that the historic inflation surge of 2022 was over, and that rising wages had effectively erased its effects.

— Daniel de Visé, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2025
Should Trump be certified, unless the disability is relieved his administration will labor under a cloud of illegitimacy.

— Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 27 Dec. 2024

Definition of labor

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“Toil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toil. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

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Last Updated: 19 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences

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Synonyms of toil

noun (1)

noun (2)

verb

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