toil
Usage
What are other ways to say toil?
Toil suggests wearying or exhausting labor: toil that breaks down the worker's health. Drudgery suggests continuous, dreary, and dispiriting work, especially of a menial or servile kind: the drudgery of household tasks. Labor particularly denotes hard manual work: backbreaking labor; arduous labor. Work is the general word and may apply to exertion that is either easy or hard: fun work; heavy work.
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.
See Examples For:
After years of investment, hype, and toil, their A.I. code was quite good—maybe too good.
From Slate ● Sep. 15, 2026
He famously worked alone, content to toil away on his own singular vision, but the innovations he made in visual effects spread well beyond his studio.
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026
This is an incredible start to their adult life; most working people take years of toil to get to that level.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026
Ulster's night went from bad to worse as they began to toil in the heat.
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
Somehow each of them had become dear to him, if only because he had borne them so far with so much toil.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
CHERAW, S.C.—Inside a Schaeffler SHA0 -3.78%decrease; red down pointing triangle auto-parts factory, a most unusual worker toils away.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 15, 2026
In a remote corner of the Bannau Brycheiniog, or Brecon Beacons, on fallow farmland hosting three sites of special scientific interest, Paul toils over his creations, surrounded by heat and metal.
From BBC ● Dec. 6, 2025
A large proportion of the work force toils on farms, for instance, and a relatively small part of it is employed in factories.
From New York Times ● Apr. 1, 2024
Boyarsky toils in a back room drenched in natural light, her cat Roxy at her side.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2023
Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
On another hot day and in improved batting conditions, India finished 154-1 - an ominous lead of 269 - as England's bowlers toiled and lacked wicket-taking threat on a flat surface.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
A native of Sonora, Mexico, Yepez and her husband toiled at various food trucks and restaurants until 2018, when they launched a series of stands named after their daughter: Ricos Tacos Naomi.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Most players who have toiled in the minor league system debut in front of applauding friends and family.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
After Sharma was dismissed by Liam McCarthy, India's middle-order toiled as Hollard took the wickets of Ishan Kishan, captain Shreyas Iyer and Washington Sundar.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
As they toiled up the slope, Wolf became more and more excited: bounding ahead, then doubling back for Torak and urging him on with little grunt-whines.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Come January, El-Sayed could be in the Senate, toiling away on behalf of Michiganders as the nation’s first Muslim senator — and Capitol Hill’s resident zaddy.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
Since last year, Japanese businesses have faced tougher legal requirements to help employees toiling in the heat.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
Moondra, who was born in India but moved to Dublin to study in 2021, then claimed the wickets of Abhiskek Sharma and captain Shreyas Iyer to leave India toiling on 19-3.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
In 1940, Woody Guthrie sat in a Midtown Manhattan hotel, toiling over lyrics for what would become “This Land Is Your Land.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
“You did it yesterday!” cried Mrs. Frisby, remembering the figures toiling the wire through the grass, remembering how strangely disinterested Dragon had seemed when he saw her.
From "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien
Vocabulary lists containing toil
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