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Glite Dictionary
to toiling

to toiling

6.1
To work very hard doing physical or unpleasant jobs for a long time
  • verb
  • /ˈtɔɪlɪŋ/
translation icon : trabajar duro
  • After toiling in the fields all day, the workers finally took a break to rest.

You know, you knew that he was there in his office toiling away at this important work, the library of living philosophers.

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Examples

  • So why do I want to spend the prime of my year toiling away in a garden?

  • Maybe it was crashing in the circle of death or toiling with the imposter syndrome.

  • that all humans seem to be toiling with is just this.

  • For by not toiling, toil is not avoided.

  • And then he talks about toiling or working laborat laborat, right?

    Gregory B. Sadler - That Philosophy Guy

  • No shaking, stirring, toiling or troubling required.

  • I think if you're in this game, you don't you, it's hard for you to be toiling under that kind of envy.

  • She was toiling away at her new job, putting in extra hours to meet the deadline.

  • The volunteers spent the weekend toiling to build homes for families in need.

Synonyms

to grind
vsto toiling
60 3.7

To work hard for a long time at a dull or repeated task

leans toward hard physical and unpleasant tasks rather than repetitive dullness
to labor
vsto toiling
  • US
26 2.7

To work hard on difficult physical tasks

focuses more on very hard physical and unpleasant tasks
to work like a dog
vsto toiling
  • Informal
8 3.4

Spend a lot of time doing hard, tiring tasks

centers on intense physical and unpleasant effort rather than reward lack
to slog
vsto toiling
5 6.7

To work hard for a long time on a task that is difficult or tiring

is more about intense physical and unpleasant effort than duration
to work one's fingers to the bone
vsto toiling
  • Informal
4 7.4

Do very hard, long jobs until you are very tired

emphasizes hard effort broadly, not only the extreme exhaustion image
to travail
vsto toiling
  • Literature
1 9.0

To work hard for a long time and suffer

focuses more on hard physical effort than on suffering over time
laboring
vsto toiling
  • US
3.3

Doing hard physical work

stresses extreme hard effort especially at unpleasant physical tasks
to work to the bone
vsto toiling
  • Informal
6.0

To do very hard, long tasks until you are very tired

describes very hard effort but highlights physical unpleasantness over exhaustion
drudging
vsto toiling
8.2

Doing boring, hard work that needs a lot of effort

is more about very hard and unpleasant physical exertion than tedium

Antonyms

rest
703 1.0

A period when you stop activity to relax or sleep

to idle
1 3.2

To spend time doing nothing

How Hard

to slave
47 5.3
to toiling
6.1
to slog
5 6.7
to labor
  • US
26 2.7

Surface Forms

toil infinitive
toiled past
toiled past participle
toiling present participle
toils third person singular

Morphology

toiling = toil (transparent) = toil + ing

The meaning is a direct gerund/participial form of 'toil' indicating ongoing hard work, which is readily inferable by learners.

Etymology

Toiling comes from toil, an old French word that meant 'to struggle' or 'work hard'. So, to toil is to do long, hard work, often physical and very tiring.