toil

toyl

Toil (noun) means Hard, exhausting work. Example: “Years of toil in the fields had left his hands rough and calloused.”

noun

Hard, exhausting work.

"Years of toil in the fields had left his hands rough and calloused."

"After months of toil, the small business finally turned a profit."

verb

To work long and hard, often at something difficult or tedious.

"She toiled late into the night to finish the report."

"They toiled for years before the invention finally worked."

How to use toil

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishWorking very hard, usually over a long period, especially at something tiring or difficult.

When to use it

Somewhat literary or formal; everyday speech usually just says "work hard" instead.

Common pairings

toil and trouble toil away years of toil

Word forms

toiled past tense, toils plural, toils singular

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Etymology

From Middle English "toilen," blending an Anglo-Norman word meaning "to agitate or entangle" with an Old English word meaning "to labour or strive."

Origin: Old English

Synonyms

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labour labor dig grind moil drudge travail

Related words

work job project effort labour birth labor slave

Rhymes for toil

oil soil FOIL boil coil voilà spoil recoil turmoil tinfoil topsoil

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Frequently asked questions

What does “toil” mean?

The word “toil” means hard, exhausting work. In plain terms, working very hard, usually over a long period, especially at something tiring or difficult.

How do you pronounce “toil”?

“Toil” is pronounced toyl (/tɔɪl/ in IPA).

How do you use “toil” in a sentence?

Here is “toil” used in a sentence: “Years of toil in the fields had left his hands rough and calloused.”

What part of speech is “toil”?

Depending on how it is used, “toil” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “toil” come from?

The word “toil” comes from Old English. From Middle English "toilen," blending an Anglo-Norman word meaning "to agitate or entangle" with an Old English word meaning "to labour or strive.".

How many meanings does “toil” have?

“Toil” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: hard, exhausting work.

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