drudgery

Drudgery, n.

The act of drudging; disagreeable and wearisome labor; ignoble or slavish toil. The drudgery of penning definitions. Macaulay. Paradise was a place of bliss . . . without drudgery and with out sorrow. Locke.

Syn. -- See Toll.

Shades of meaning

Fernald has no entry of its own for drudgery; he lists it under work.

Where he writes about it:

Drudgery is plodding, irksome, and often menial work. — from work

Synonyms

work achievement action business deed doing employment exertion labor occupation performance product production toil

Antonyms

ease idleness leisure recreation relaxation repose rest vacation

etymology Webster’s online