Working hard means trying your best, even when something is not easy. People who work hard do not give up quickly. They keep going, step by step, until the job is done. In English, we use idioms to talk about working hard in fun and interesting ways. These idioms can make stories more exciting and help us understand people better.
An idiom is a group of words with a special meaning. It doesn’t always mean exactly what the words say. For example, if someone says they are “burning the midnight oil,” they are not really burning oil. It just means they are working very late. In this article, you will learn many idioms that people use to talk about working hard.
Idioms About Hard Work
1. Burn the midnight oil
Meaning: To stay up late working
Example Sentence:
• I burned the midnight oil to finish my science project.
• She burned the midnight oil studying for the test.
Other ways to say: Work late, stay up working
Fun Fact/Origin: Before electricity, people used oil lamps at night.
Usage: When someone works late at night.
2. Put your nose to the grindstone
Meaning: To focus and work very hard
Example Sentence:
• He put his nose to the grindstone and finished his book report.
• They put their noses to the grindstone to clean the gym.
Other ways to say: Work hard, stay focused
Fun Fact/Origin: Grindstones were used to sharpen tools, and people had to stay close to them.
Usage: Used when someone is working without distraction.
3. Break a sweat
Meaning: To work hard physically or mentally
Example Sentence:
• I broke a sweat shoveling snow this morning.
• She broke a sweat doing her math homework.
Other ways to say: Work hard, give effort
Fun Fact/Origin: When you work hard, your body gets warm and sweats.
Usage: Used when someone is trying very hard.
4. Go the extra mile
Meaning: To do more than what is needed
Example Sentence:
• He went the extra mile by helping clean the lunchroom.
• She went the extra mile by writing two essays.
Other ways to say: Do more, give extra effort
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from ancient times when runners went farther than asked.
Usage: Used when someone puts in extra effort.
5. Blood, sweat, and tears
Meaning: A lot of hard work and struggle
Example Sentence:
• The team put in blood, sweat, and tears to win the game.
• It took blood, sweat, and tears to build the treehouse.
Other ways to say: Lots of effort, worked really hard
Fun Fact/Origin: Popularized by Winston Churchill during World War II.
Usage: Used when something takes a lot of effort.
6. Back to the grind
Meaning: Returning to hard work after a break
Example Sentence:
• After winter break, it was back to the grind.
• I went back to the grind when school started.
Other ways to say: Back to work, back at it
Fun Fact/Origin: “Grind” means hard work, often boring or tiring.
Usage: Used when returning to a task after a rest.
7. Pull your weight
Meaning: To do your fair share of work
Example Sentence:
• Everyone must pull their weight during group projects.
• He pulled his weight by helping clean the classroom.
Other ways to say: Do your part, help out
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from rowing, where each person must pull evenly.
Usage: Used in team settings.
8. Keep your nose clean
Meaning: To behave well and stay out of trouble while working
Example Sentence:
• Keep your nose clean and finish your homework.
• He kept his nose clean during the group task.
Other ways to say: Stay focused, behave
Fun Fact/Origin: An old way of saying “stay out of trouble.”
Usage: Used when telling someone to stay on task.
9. Bust your chops
Meaning: To work very hard
Example Sentence:
• I busted my chops studying all week.
• She busted her chops to win the spelling bee.
Other ways to say: Work hard, give it all
Fun Fact/Origin: “Chops” once meant jaws—means effort like grinding teeth.
Usage: Used when showing effort in tough jobs.
10. Sweat blood
Meaning: To work very hard and feel pressure
Example Sentence:
• He sweated blood to finish his science fair project.
• She sweated blood writing her essay.
Other ways to say: Push hard, give effort
Fun Fact/Origin: Describes stress so strong it feels physical.
Usage: Used for intense effort or pressure.
11. Hit the ground running
Meaning: To start working right away and fast
Example Sentence:
• On the first day of school, I hit the ground running.
• She hit the ground running with her chores.
Other ways to say: Start fast, jump into work
Fun Fact/Origin: Used by soldiers jumping from planes.
Usage: When someone starts quickly and with energy.
12. Put your shoulder to the wheel
Meaning: To work hard with full effort
Example Sentence:
• Put your shoulder to the wheel and finish your homework.
• The class put their shoulders to the wheel for the project.
Other ways to say: Push hard, try your best
Fun Fact/Origin: From pushing heavy wagons with your shoulder.
Usage: Used when effort is needed to move forward.
13. Dig in your heels
Meaning: To not give up and keep working
Example Sentence:
• I dug in my heels to finish my book report.
• She dug in her heels when the task got tough.
Other ways to say: Stay strong, stand firm
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from stopping a horse by planting your heels.
Usage: Used when someone keeps trying despite difficulty.
14. Work your fingers to the bone
Meaning: To work so hard it feels painful
Example Sentence:
• My mom worked her fingers to the bone making dinner.
• He worked his fingers to the bone on his project.
Other ways to say: Work very hard, nonstop effort
Fun Fact/Origin: Meant working so much your fingers hurt.
Usage: Used when someone gives extreme effort.
15. Push the envelope
Meaning: To go beyond limits with effort
Example Sentence:
• She pushed the envelope by doing extra credit.
• He pushed the envelope by solving harder problems.
Other ways to say: Try harder, do more
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from flying, testing limits of planes.
Usage: Used when someone does more than expected.
16. Climb the ladder
Meaning: To work your way up step by step
Example Sentence:
• She climbed the ladder from beginner to team leader.
• He’s climbing the ladder by learning more each day.
Other ways to say: Move up, make progress
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from climbing step by step to reach higher levels.
Usage: Used when someone improves over time.
17. Roll up your sleeves
Meaning: To get ready to work
Example Sentence:
• He rolled up his sleeves and started cleaning.
• It’s time to roll up our sleeves and study.
Other ways to say: Get ready, start working
Fun Fact/Origin: People roll sleeves to keep them clean while working.
Usage: Used before starting a task.
18. Get your hands dirty
Meaning: To do hard or messy work
Example Sentence:
• She got her hands dirty planting flowers.
• He wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty fixing his bike.
Other ways to say: Do the hard part, get involved
Fun Fact/Origin: Hands get dirty in real work, like farming.
Usage: Used when someone does the real work.
19. No pain, no gain
Meaning: Hard work brings rewards
Example Sentence:
• I ran every day—no pain, no gain.
• Studying hard shows that no pain means no gain.
Other ways to say: Work now, win later
Fun Fact/Origin: Used often in sports and training.
Usage: Used when effort brings success.
20. Carry the load
Meaning: To take on big responsibilities
Example Sentence:
• She carried the load for the group project.
• He carried the load when others gave up.
Other ways to say: Take charge, do the heavy part
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from carrying heavy things.
Usage: Used when someone takes on a big task.
21. Put in the hours
Meaning: Spend time working hard
Example Sentence:
• He put in the hours to finish his report.
• She put in the hours practicing piano.
Other ways to say: Spend time, work long
Fun Fact/Origin: From the idea of counting work by hours.
Usage: Used when someone works long.
22. On the grind
Meaning: Constantly working hard
Example Sentence:
• She’s on the grind with her school goals.
• He’s been on the grind all week.
Other ways to say: Working non-stop, always busy
Fun Fact/Origin: “Grind” means hard, steady work.
Usage: Used for someone who works every day.
23. Sweat it out
Meaning: To work through something tough
Example Sentence:
• He sweated it out studying all night.
• We sweat it out cleaning the backyard.
Other ways to say: Push through, work hard
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from sweating when you try hard.
Usage: Used when someone works under pressure.
24. Keep your head down
Meaning: To focus and avoid distractions
Example Sentence:
• I kept my head down and finished my art project.
• She kept her head down during the test.
Other ways to say: Stay focused, avoid attention
Fun Fact/Origin: Soldiers kept heads low to avoid danger.
Usage: Used when staying focused on work.
25. All in a day’s work
Meaning: Something normal or expected as part of work
Example Sentence:
• Cleaning desks was all in a day’s work.
• Helping classmates is all in a day’s work for her.
Other ways to say: Part of the job, expected work
Fun Fact/Origin: Used to show it’s a normal task.
Usage: Used when something is just a usual task.
26. Stay the course
Meaning: To keep going, even when it’s hard
Example Sentence:
• We stayed the course and finished our project.
• He stayed the course and passed the test.
Other ways to say: Keep trying, don’t give up
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from sailing—sticking to the same path.
Usage: Used when people keep going through hard times.
27. Put your back into it
Meaning: To work with strength and effort
Example Sentence:
• He put his back into moving the boxes.
• She put her back into building the model.
Other ways to say: Give full effort, use all your strength
Fun Fact/Origin: From using your back muscles for lifting.
Usage: Used for tough, physical tasks.
28. No rest for the weary
Meaning: People who work hard don’t get much break
Example Sentence:
• After chores, more homework—no rest for the weary.
• He finished one job, then started another. No rest!
Other ways to say: Always working, little break
Fun Fact/Origin: An old phrase about constant work.
Usage: Used when people don’t get to rest.
29. Grind away
Meaning: To work slowly and steadily
Example Sentence:
• I kept grinding away at my report until it was done.
• She grinded away all weekend on her model.
Other ways to say: Work steadily, keep going
Fun Fact/Origin: “Grind” sounds like slow, tough effort.
Usage: Used when someone works hard over time.
30. Keep plugging away
Meaning: To keep working little by little
Example Sentence:
• He kept plugging away on the puzzle.
• She kept plugging away on her reading log.
Other ways to say: Keep trying, work bit by bit
Fun Fact/Origin: “Plug” once meant steady effort.
Usage: Used when someone is working slowly but surely.
31. Give it your all
Meaning: Try your very best
Example Sentence:
• She gave it her all in the spelling bee.
• He gave it his all on the math test.
Other ways to say: Try your hardest, do your best
Fun Fact/Origin: Used in sports and school a lot.
Usage: When someone gives full effort.
32. Hammer away
Meaning: To keep working hard at something
Example Sentence:
• He hammered away at the poster all night.
• She hammered away on the piano piece.
Other ways to say: Work hard, keep going
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from hammering again and again.
Usage: When someone repeats effort.
33. Break your back
Meaning: To work very hard
Example Sentence:
• I broke my back raking all those leaves.
• She broke her back making decorations.
Other ways to say: Work very hard, struggle
Fun Fact/Origin: Not really breaking your back—just means hard work.
Usage: Used when work is very tiring.
34. Hard row to hoe
Meaning: A tough task to do
Example Sentence:
• Getting straight A’s is a hard row to hoe.
• Helping at the food bank was a hard row to hoe.
Other ways to say: Tough job, hard task
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from farming—hard to hoe dry soil.
Usage: Used when something is not easy to finish.
35. Run yourself ragged
Meaning: To get very tired from too much work
Example Sentence:
• He ran himself ragged doing homework and chores.
• She ran herself ragged decorating for the party.
Other ways to say: Wear yourself out, overwork
Fun Fact/Origin: Ragged means worn out like old clothes.
Usage: Used when someone is too tired from work.
36. Bend over backward
Meaning: To try very hard to help
Example Sentence:
• She bent over backward to explain the game.
• He bent over backward to help with the books.
Other ways to say: Try hard to help, go out of your way
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from doing something very hard—like bending backward.
Usage: Used when someone helps a lot.
37. Work like a dog
Meaning: To work very hard all day
Example Sentence:
• He worked like a dog cleaning the garage.
• She worked like a dog baking cookies.
Other ways to say: Work hard, nonstop work
Fun Fact/Origin: Dogs are loyal and work hard—like sheepdogs.
Usage: When someone doesn’t stop working.
38. Pull an all-nighter
Meaning: To stay up all night working
Example Sentence:
• I pulled an all-nighter to finish my project.
• He pulled an all-nighter studying for his test.
Other ways to say: Work all night, stay up
Fun Fact/Origin: Common in school or college
Usage: Used when someone doesn’t sleep to finish work.
39. Rise and grind
Meaning: Start the day and work hard
Example Sentence:
• It’s time to rise and grind—school starts at 8.
• She rises and grinds every morning with chores.
Other ways to say: Get up and work, start the day
Fun Fact/Origin: “Grind” means effort; “rise” means waking up.
Usage: Used when starting a hardworking day.
40. Put your all into it
Meaning: To give all your energy and effort
Example Sentence:
• He put his all into the science project.
• She put her all into making the decorations.
Other ways to say: Full effort, total energy
Fun Fact/Origin: “All” means everything you have
Usage: Used when someone gives 100% effort.
41. Get down to business
Meaning: To start working seriously
Example Sentence:
• Let’s get down to business and finish this art.
• He got down to business with his homework.
Other ways to say: Start working, get serious
Fun Fact/Origin: Means to stop talking and begin work.
Usage: When people start focusing on tasks.
42. Plug away
Meaning: To work slowly but keep going
Example Sentence:
• She plugged away at the puzzle all day.
• He plugged away writing his story.
Other ways to say: Keep at it, continue working
Fun Fact/Origin: “Plug” used to mean slow, steady work
Usage: Used when someone works with patience.
43. Buckle down
Meaning: To start working hard
Example Sentence:
• It’s time to buckle down and do homework.
• She buckled down and read five chapters.
Other ways to say: Focus, get serious
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from tightening a belt to work
Usage: Used when someone finally starts working.
44. Give it a shot
Meaning: To try something with effort
Example Sentence:
• He gave it a shot and built the Lego tower.
• She gave it a shot with the spelling test.
Other ways to say: Try it, take a chance
Fun Fact/Origin: “Shot” once meant a try or an attempt.
Usage: Used when trying even if unsure.
45. Hit the books
Meaning: To study hard
Example Sentence:
• Time to hit the books for the math test.
• She hit the books after dinner.
Other ways to say: Study, get to learning
Fun Fact/Origin: Sounds like hitting but really means study time.
Usage: Used when someone starts serious studying.
Quiz: Idioms About Hard Work
Instructions: Read each question and the answer choices carefully. Pick the letter that best matches the meaning of the phrase or expression.
Question Key
1. What does “burn the midnight oil” mean?
A) Go to bed early
B) Work late at night
C) Play outside in the dark
2. What does it mean if you “put your nose to the grindstone”?
A) You are daydreaming
B) You are focusing and working hard
C) You are sharpening a pencil
3. If someone “goes the extra mile,” what are they doing?
A) Driving a long distance
B) Doing more than expected
C) Taking a long walk
4. What does “break a sweat” mean in work?
A) To run a race
B) To try hard at something
C) To sit and relax
5. When someone “pulls their weight,” what are they doing?
A) Lifting weights at the gym
B) Doing their share of the work
C) Counting how much they weigh
6. What does it mean to “roll up your sleeves”?
A) To dress up nicely
B) To get ready to work
C) To go to sleep
7. If you “get your hands dirty,” what are you doing?
A) Playing in mud
B) Doing hard or messy work
C) Washing your hands
8. What does “no pain, no gain” mean?
A) Only rest gives success
B) You don’t need to try hard
C) You must work hard to succeed
9. If someone “hits the ground running,” what are they doing?
A) Lying on the ground
B) Starting work fast
C) Jumping in the mud
10. What does “climb the ladder” mean?
A) Get on the roof
B) Work your way up in steps
C) Do a fun activity
11. What does “dig in your heels” mean?
A) To play soccer
B) To work even when it’s hard
C) To run away
12. If someone “works their fingers to the bone,” what are they doing?
A) Writing lightly
B) Giving lots of effort
C) Drawing pictures
13. What does “buckle down” mean?
A) To sit on the floor
B) To get serious and start working
C) To fasten your seatbelt
14. If someone “runs themselves ragged,” what happened?
A) They got very tired from working
B) They played a fun game
C) They stayed in bed all day
15. What does it mean to “hit the books”?
A) Throw books on the floor
B) Start studying hard
C) Go to the library to play
Answer Key
- B) Work late at night
- B) You are focusing and working hard
- B) Doing more than expected
- B) To try hard at something
- B) Doing their share of the work
- B) To get ready to work
- B) Doing hard or messy work
- C) You must work hard to succeed
- B) Starting work fast
- B) Work your way up in steps
- B) To work even when it’s hard
- B) Giving lots of effort
- B) To get serious and start working
- A) They got very tired from working
- B) Start studying hard
Wrapping Up
Hard work is important in school, sports, and even at home. Idioms help us talk about effort in a fun and colorful way. When we say someone “rolled up their sleeves” or “gave it their all,” we understand they tried their best. These phrases make it easier to explain how we feel and what we do.
Next time you work hard, try using one of these idioms. They can help you share your effort in a clear and interesting way. Keep trying, and don’t forget—“no pain, no gain!”
