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:
Her installation of aprons, made of silk printed with her photography and archival images, speaks to women’s toil at home and in the workforce—both realms where their efforts historically have been overlooked and underappreciated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
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
In this they are aided by the toil of the earthworms, who feed in the leaf litter, for elm leaves are among their favorite foods.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
As Baraa toils on, he longs for a return to a normal life with prospects of more profitable employment.
From BBC ● Nov. 29, 2025
Keuer wonders if the work is worth it, noting how hard he toils for little pay.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2025
Co-produced with Edgar Barrera and Sky Rompiendo, the song toils with the wistfulness of what never came to be, and the hope of what could become.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 31, 2024
So are the film’s many montages underlining Ryuta’s plight — he toils at multiple jobs to care for his sick mother — that reduce the character to something of a sob story.
From New York Times ● Apr. 18, 2024
Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
Tanzid then put on 93 with captain Najmul Hossain Shanto as Australia toiled in stiflingly hot conditions at the Marrara Oval.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 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
Veteran Jessica Pegula, 32, the top-ranked American who also toiled away on the sport’s lower tier before becoming a top-10 mainstay, appreciates Liu’s resolve.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
Caluori had a try wiped off from a knock-on by replacement hooker Jamie Blamire, but England couldn't get a real toehold as they toiled at the set-piece.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
One by one Boromir and Aragorn carried the boats, while the others toiled and scrambled after them with the baggage.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
England, despite being in control, were toiling against the 10-man Czechs, who had seen danger man Pavel Sulc sent off after only 25 minutes for a reckless challenge on Elliot Anderson.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
Most art fairs aim to unearth talent from the vast number of artists toiling in obscurity today, but Independent 20th Century looks to the past in its search for creative gems.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
Many of them had saved money while toiling as farmworkers, cooks, custodians and construction workers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026
Since last year, Japanese businesses have faced tougher legal requirements to help employees toiling in the heat.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
Just as he reached the little lawn among the rowans he overtook him, toiling uphill, panting and calling, Frodo!
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Vocabulary lists containing toil
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Animal Farm
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