✅ Work and toil both refer to mental or physical exertion.
✅ Work is the more general word, and can even refer to labor that is easy or enjoyable (She put in good work; He was immersed in his work).
✅ Toil implies that the task is exhausting and often boring or tedious (endless toil).
✅ It’s better to use toil instead of work when you want to emphasize the exhaustion or monotony of the labor (a lifetime of toil).
We hope that wasn’t too much work! Take a look at these synonyms for toil.
✅ However and nonetheless can be used when contrasting two statements (Your point is important; however/nonetheless, there are other factors to consider).
✅ However is often used when there are two equally important considerations to be contrasted, especially to emphasize the way that the two considerations interact or influence each other (Your writing is good; however, you need to work on your spelling).
✅ Nonetheless is also used when there are two important considerations, especially in a way that uses the second consideration to contextualize the first (While influential, he was nonetheless unpopular).
Try using nonetheless in a paragraph summarizing an argument or point of view.
✅ Pleasing is used to describe things that evoke pleasure or enjoyment (aesthetically pleasing). Gratifying describes something that satisfies your desires or expectations (gratifying work).
✅ Something gratifying is also usually pleasing. However, something pleasing isn’t always gratifying (a pleasing aroma).
✅ In some situations, gratifying can be a more intense word than pleasing (The reply was pleasing; The feedback was gratifying).
Try using gratifying in a paragraph about a time you received a special gift.