1. work extremely hard or incessantly: "we toiled away"Similarwork hardlabourwork one's fingers to the bonework like a Trojanwork like a dogwork day and nightexert oneselfkeep at itkeep one's nose to the grindstonegrind awayslave awaygrub awayplough awayplod awayinformal:slog awaypeg awaybeaver awayplug awayput one's back into somethingwork one's guts outwork one's socks offknock oneself outsweat bloodkill oneselfgraft awayfagbullockvulgar slang:work one's balls/arse/nuts offwork one's ass/butt offarchaic:drudgetravailmoilOppositerestrelaxlaze
Word OriginMiddle English (in the senses ‘contend verbally’ and ‘strife’): from Anglo-Norman French toiler ‘strive, dispute’, toil ‘confusion’, from Latin tudiculare ‘stir about’, from tudicula ‘machine for crushing olives’, related to tundere ‘crush’.