drudgery
gb/dɹˈʌd͡ʒɚi/ us/dɹˈʌd͡ʒɚi/
C1
English
robotmunka, robot, nyűg, szürke robot
NOUN
C1
1
robotmunka
B2
robot
C1
Usage pattern:
[do] drudgery; drudgery [at/in] [place/activity]
She left her job because she couldn’t face another year of drudgery.
Felmondott, mert nem bírt volna még egy év robotmunkát.
Most of the role is administrative drudgery, with only occasional creative work.
A munkakör nagy része adminisztratív robotmunka, és csak néha akad benne kreatív feladat.
They hired an assistant to take care of the drudgery of scheduling and filing.
Learner examples
Cleaning the kitchen every day feels like drudgery.
A konyha mindennapi takarítása robotmunkának érződik.
He wants a job with less drudgery.
Olyan munkát akar, amiben kevesebb a robotmunka.
Common mistake:
Usually uncountable: say "drudgery" (not "a drudgery") unless you mean a life/period of it.
Meaning
boring, tiring repetitive work
Collocations
mind-numbing drudgery
|endless drudgery
|sheer drudgery
|backbreaking drudgery
|hours of drudgery
|the drudgery of housework
|the drudgery of paperwork
|escape the drudgery
|drudgery and routine
|reduce the drudgery
Synonyms
toil (Emphasizes hard effort, not necessarily boredom.)
|
grind (Highlights exhausting routine over time.)
|
grunt work (More informal; suggests low-status tasks.)
|
tedium (Focuses on boredom rather than effort.)
Antonyms
enjoyment (The opposite feeling of satisfaction or pleasure.)
|
fulfillment (Emphasizes meaningful, rewarding work.)
Themes
work
|daily_life
|emotions
Definition
boring and tiring work you must do again and again
Hard, dull, and repetitive work that takes effort but is not interesting or satisfying.
NOUN
C1
2
nyűg
B2
robotmunka
B2
Usage pattern:
the drudgery of [task/activity]
Software can remove much of the drudgery of preparing monthly reports.
A szoftver megszüntetheti a havi jelentések elkészítésével járó nyűg nagy részét.
He enjoys teaching, but he hates the drudgery of grading.
Szeret tanítani, de a dolgozatjavítás nyűgjét utálja.
The drudgery of organizing receipts took up the entire afternoon.
Learner examples
I don’t like the drudgery of filling out forms.
Nem szeretem az űrlapok kitöltésének nyűgjét.
Common mistake:
Commonly used with "of": "the drudgery of paperwork/studying".
Meaning
boring routine part of something
Collocations
the drudgery of paperwork
|the drudgery of data entry
|the drudgery of revision
|the drudgery of commuting
|the drudgery of admin
|the drudgery of meetings
|the drudgery of chores
|spare someone the drudgery
|take the drudgery out of [something]
|automate the drudgery
Synonyms
routine (More neutral; doesn’t necessarily imply unpleasantness.)
|
bore (Informal; focuses on boredom rather than repetitive work.)
Antonyms
highlight (The most enjoyable or exciting part.)
|
rewarding work (Work that gives satisfaction rather than dull repetition.)
Themes
work
|education
|daily_life
Definition
the boring part you have to do
The dull, repetitive tasks that are a necessary but unpleasant part of an activity or job.
NOUN
C1
3
szürke robot
C1
robot
C1
Usage pattern:
a life of drudgery; years of drudgery
She was determined to avoid a life of drudgery like her parents had endured.
Eltökélte, hogy elkerüli azt a szürke robotot, amelyet a szülei is elszenvedtek.
The novel portrays the drudgery of factory life in the early twentieth century.
A regény a huszadik század eleji gyári élet szürke robotját ábrázolja.
He saved aggressively for years to escape the drudgery of low-paid work.
Learner examples
He doesn’t want a life of drudgery.
Nem akarja, hogy az élete szürke robot legyen.
Common mistake:
Often used with time expressions ("years of drudgery") or "a life of drudgery"; it’s still usually uncountable.
Meaning
life of constant dull work
Collocations
a life of drudgery
|years of drudgery
|a lifetime of drudgery
|condemned to drudgery
|trapped in drudgery
|drudgery and hardship
|break free from drudgery
|the drudgery of poverty
|drudgery at home
|drudgery in the fields
Synonyms
hardship (Broader; includes suffering beyond work.)
|
slog (Emphasizes a long, exhausting stretch of effort.)
Antonyms
comfortable life (A life without constant exhausting routine.)
|
leisure (Time free from work and obligations.)
Themes
work
|society
|emotions
Definition
a life with only boring hard work
A long period or way of life marked by constant hard, monotonous work and little pleasure or variety.
Grammar
Dictionary form
drudgery
IPA
GB/dɹˈʌd͡ʒɚi/
US/dɹˈʌd͡ʒɚi/
Syllables & stress
drudgery (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (drudgery)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: drudgery
- Plural: drudgery
Word family
Core family
drudge
noun
Expressions
a life of drudgery
1/ə lˈaɪf əv dɹˈʌd͡ʒɚi/
fixed phrase
life filled with dull work
a life with only boring hard work
Examples
- She feared a life of drudgery if she stayed in the same town.
- The film contrasts a life of drudgery with moments of unexpected joy.
- He worked to ensure his children wouldn’t face a life of drudgery.
Learner examples
- He doesn’t want a life of drudgery.
cut down on the drudgery
1/kˈʌt dˈaʊn ˈɔn ðə dɹˈʌd͡ʒɚi/
fixed phrase
make boring work less
to reduce boring work
Examples
- Templates can cut down on the drudgery of writing routine emails.
- They reorganized the workflow to cut down on the drudgery.
- A dishwasher cut down on the drudgery of washing up by hand.
Learner examples
- This tool cuts down on the drudgery.
escape the drudgery
1/ɪskˈeɪp ðə dɹˈʌd͡ʒɚi/
fixed phrase
get away from dull work
to get away from boring work
Examples
- He took evening classes to escape the drudgery of his day job.
- A weekend trip helped her escape the drudgery for a while.
- They saved money for years, hoping to escape the drudgery of low-paid work.
Learner examples
- I want to escape the drudgery of my routine.
the daily drudgery
1/ðə dˈeɪli dɹˈʌd͡ʒɚi/
fixed phrase
everyday boring routine work
boring work you do every day
Examples
- Music helped her get through the daily drudgery of cleaning and cooking.
- He looked forward to weekends as a break from the daily drudgery.
- They shared the daily drudgery so neither of them felt overwhelmed.
Learner examples
- Weekends give me a break from the daily drudgery.
the drudgery of [something]
1/ðə dɹˈʌd͡ʒɚi əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
boring necessary tasks involved
the boring part of something
Examples
- Automation has reduced the drudgery of entering data by hand.
- She likes research but not the drudgery of writing up results.
- He complained about the drudgery of commuting every day.
Learner examples
- I hate the drudgery of doing paperwork.