TOIL Synonyms: 143 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'toil' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of toil are drudgery , grind , labor , travail , and work . While all these words mean "activity involving effort or exertion," toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor. // his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

Q: When would 'drudgery' be a good substitute for 'toil'?

Although the words drudgery and toil have much in common, drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor. // an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

Q: When might 'grind' be a better fit than 'toil'?

The words grind and toil can be used in similar contexts, but grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body. // the grind of the assembly line

Q: Where would 'labor' be a reasonable alternative to 'toil'?

The words labor and toil are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion. // farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

Q: When could 'travail' be used to replace 'toil'?

While the synonyms travail and toil are close in meaning, travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering. // years of travail were lost when the house burned

Q: When is it sensible to use 'work' instead of 'toil'?

The meanings of work and toil largely overlap; however, work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force. // too tired to do any work

toil 1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈtȯi(-ə)l

Definition of toil

as in labor

very hard or unpleasant work after years of toil in a sweatshop, Kim was finally able to start her own dressmaking business

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

toil

2 of 3

noun (2)

as in tangle

usually toils plural something that catches and holds a married woman hopelessly caught in the toils of an extramarital affair

Synonyms & Similar Words

toil

3 of 3

verb

as in to labor

to devote serious and sustained effort toiled for many years on the mammoth outdoor sculpture

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How does the noun toil contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of toil are drudgery, grind, labor, travail, and work. While all these words mean "activity involving effort or exertion," toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor.

his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

When would drudgery be a good substitute for toil?

Although the words drudgery and toil have much in common, drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor.

an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

When might grind be a better fit than toil?

The words grind and toil can be used in similar contexts, but grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body.

the grind of the assembly line

Where would labor be a reasonable alternative to toil?

The words labor and toil are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.

farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

When could travail be used to replace toil?

While the synonyms travail and toil are close in meaning, travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering.

years of travail were lost when the house burned

When is it sensible to use work instead of toil?

The meanings of work and toil largely overlap; however, work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force.

too tired to do any work

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of toil

Noun

The poem is about how our most worthwhile pursuits—things like art, love, and beauty—often seem to demand a measure of toil. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026 With debts racking up, Ina loses the family’s bus company, forcing her to shift between jobs, from construction to becoming a bar entertainer, therefore forging an identity through toil. — Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026

Verb

Raissa’s going to Caltech in America and leaving Jo, a wannabe artist who toils in fast food mascot jobs. — Mark Kennedy, Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2026 By the doorway to the catwalk two people sat toiling at desks, one hand-beading a piece of cloth and the other machine sewing a denim garment. — Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for toil

Recent Examples of Synonyms for toil

Noun

Robots were already offered up as part of China’s domestic answer to aging, labor shortages, and future care needs.

— Ruby Wang, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026
At the sewing line, a conventional cotton T-shirt requires eight person-minutes of direct labor across its sewing operations, according to Silana co-founder Michael Hofmannrichter.

— Jessica Binns, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of labor

Noun

The shampoo didn’t strip the tester’s already-dry hair, and a two-minute conditioner left her tangles smooth enough to finger-comb.

— Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026
The double-deck Wacker Drive obliterated a tangle of buildings and produce stalls in favor of a broad Beaux Arts thoroughfare by the Chicago River.

— Robert Loerzel, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of tangle

Noun

The $60 million ceiling covers a three-year development effort, but the announcement does not establish a final procurement value.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
Over the past two months, amid efforts to find what could be more than $20 billion to recapitalize insurance funds, Walter has sold his controlling interest in the Lakers and a minority share of Chelsea, the English Premier League club.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of effort

Verb

Filmed largely on the doctors’ phones, the film offers an intimate account of the people striving to preserve life amid a devastating humanitarian crisis.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026
Are these trends in direct conversation with the rise in weight loss medications, as luxury customers strive to show off their new bodies?

— Rachael Akhidenor, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of strive

Noun

With Angel playing games, a wig probably would last maybe two or three days, because of sweat, oils and things like that, which doesn’t really work well with the glue.

— Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
Betr is giving you a chance to get in on those games with promo code FOXNEWS, giving you $200 in bonus bets and four sweat-free picks to use today.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of sweat

Noun

Kinder Morgan operates a dominant, interconnected web of steel pipelines that links oversupplied shale basins directly to major demand centers and Gulf Coast export complexes.

— Harvey Stober, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
The full 12-company delegation spans original story IP in drama, film, animation and web novels, as well as generative AI, interactive entertainment and fan platforms.

— Deadline, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of web

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to hand

toil

toiled

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“Toil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toil. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of toil

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verb

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