Hard work is often celebrated through idioms that capture dedication, effort, and perseverance. These phrases paint vivid pictures of what it means to toil diligently and achieve success through persistence. Below are 20 idioms that epitomize the essence of hard work, each with a brief meaning and example sentence.
1. Burn the midnight oil
Meaning: Work late
Example: She burned the midnight oil to finish the report.
2. Break your back
Meaning: Work very hard
Example: He broke his back to complete the project on time.
3. Put your nose to the grindstone
Meaning: Focus on hard work
Example: She put her nose to the grindstone and aced the exams.
4. Go the extra mile
Meaning: Make extra effort
Example: He went the extra mile to ensure customer satisfaction.
5. Work your fingers to the bone
Meaning: Work very hard
Example: She worked her fingers to the bone to support her family.
6. Sweat blood
Meaning: Work extremely hard
Example: He sweated blood to get the business off the ground.
7. Pull out all the stops
Meaning: Make maximum effort
Example: They pulled out all the stops to meet the deadline.
8. Grind away
Meaning: Work continuously
Example: He ground away at his studies until he graduated.
9. Keep your shoulder to the wheel
Meaning: Stay diligent
Example: She kept her shoulder to the wheel and succeeded.
10. Put in the hours
Meaning: Spend a lot of time working
Example: He put in the hours to master his craft.
11. Bend over backwards
Meaning: Make a great effort
Example: She bent over backwards to help her team.
12. Go at it hammer and tongs
Meaning: Work with great energy
Example: They went at it hammer and tongs to finish the job.
13. Do the heavy lifting
Meaning: Do the hard work
Example: He did the heavy lifting on the project.
14. Roll up your sleeves
Meaning: Prepare to work hard
Example: She rolled up her sleeves and got to work.
15. Work like a dog
Meaning: Work very hard
Example: He worked like a dog to complete the task.
16. Bust your chops
Meaning: Work very hard
Example: She busted her chops to get the promotion.
17. Put your heart and soul into it
Meaning: Give maximum effort
Example: He put his heart and soul into the project.
18. Go to great lengths
Meaning: Make a big effort
Example: She went to great lengths to achieve her goals.
19. Toil away
Meaning: Work continuously
Example: He toiled away in the lab for hours.
20. Pay your dues
Meaning: Work hard over time
Example: She paid her dues to reach the top.
