noun

hard work

HARD WURK

Hard work (noun) means Sustained effort that demands real energy, concentration or persistence. Example: “The garden took two years of hard work.”

noun

Sustained effort that demands real energy, concentration or persistence.

"The garden took two years of hard work."

"There is no shortcut; it comes down to hard work."

informal Something or someone that is tiring and difficult to deal with.

"That meeting was hard work from start to finish."

"He's lovely, but he can be hard work on a long journey."

How to use hard work

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishPutting in a lot of effort.

When to use it

Neutral; the person sense is informal and British-leaning.

Memory tip

Two words as a noun, one word as the adjective hardworking.

Easily confused with

hardworking → hardship → hard graft

Common pairings

hard work pays off years of hard work put in the hard work sheer hard work

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The garden took two years of _____.

Synonyms

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effort toil graft labour exertion heavy going a struggle an effort

Related words

work job station join campaign effort labour attempt

Frequently asked questions

Is hard work countable or uncountable?

Uncountable. You say a lot of hard work or years of hard work, never two hard works. It takes a singular verb: hard work pays off.

What is the difference between hard work and hardship?

Hard work is effort you put in, often willingly and with a goal in mind. Hardship is suffering you undergo, such as poverty or illness, and nobody chooses it.

Can a person be described as hard work?

Yes, informally, and it is not a compliment. Calling someone hard work means they are draining company: demanding, touchy or hard to hold a conversation with.

What is the meaning of hard work?

"hard work" (noun) means sustained effort that demands real energy, concentration or persistence.

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work job station join campaign effort labour attempt