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Glite Dictionary
to work like a dog

to work like a dog

8 3.4
Spend a lot of time doing hard, tiring tasks
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : trabajar como un burro
  • He works like a dog to support his family every day.
  • work like a dog to get
  • work like a dog to make

Examples

Synonyms

to grind
vsto work like a dog
60 3.7

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

adds greater emphasis on tireless effort and poor reward
to slave
vsto work like a dog
47 5.3

To work very hard for a long time with little rest or reward

adds stronger sense of tireless effort and low reward
to toil
vsto work like a dog
35 5.3

To work very hard for a long time

places stronger weight on tirelessness and meagre reward
to labor
vsto work like a dog
  • US
26 2.7

To work hard on difficult physical tasks

adds the idea of tireless, unrewarded effort rather than general effort
to work one's ass off
vsto work like a dog
  • Offensive
13 8.4

Try very hard for a long time to do something

adds the idea of tireless work often with little reward
to slog
vsto work like a dog
5 6.7

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

stresses tireless work and low reward rather than steady pace
to work one's fingers to the bone
vsto work like a dog
  • Informal
4 7.4

Do very hard, long jobs until you are very tired

stresses tireless effort and lack of reward rather than just exhaustion
nose to the grindstone
vsto work like a dog
  • Informal
3 6.3

To work hard for a long time without stopping

adds the idea of tireless effort often without much reward
to work like crazy
vsto work like a dog
  • Informal
3 4.8

Try very hard for some time

adds a sense of long tireless labor and low reward
to keep one's nose to the grindstone
vsto work like a dog
  • Informal
1 7.7

To work hard for a long time on a difficult task without stopping

is more about nonstop effort paired with little reward
to work like a horse
vsto work like a dog
  • Informal
1 3.6

To use a lot of energy to do a hard job for a long time

is similar but emphasizes tirelessness and scarce reward more
to beaver
vsto work like a dog
  • UK
1 7.0

To work very hard for a long time

is similar but places more stress on tireless low rewarded work
to moil
vsto work like a dog
  • Archaic
1 9.9

To work very hard, often at a physical or long job

focuses more on nonstop toil often with little reward
to work to the bone
vsto work like a dog
  • Informal
6.0

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

highlights continual tireless effort and little compensation
to break one's back
vsto work like a dog
  • Informal
6.0

To work very hard at something until you are very tired

focuses more on nonstop hard work and low reward
to toiling
vsto work like a dog
6.1

To work very hard doing physical or unpleasant jobs for a long time

focuses more on nonstop effort and lack of reward
to keep one's shoulder to the wheel
vsto work like a dog
  • Informal
7.7

To work hard and continue when things are difficult

leans more toward nonstop toil with little rest or reward

Antonyms

rest
703 1.0

A period when you stop activity to relax or sleep

to take it easy
  • Informal
572 2.5

Relax and avoid doing too much or worrying

How Hard

to slave
47 5.3
to work like crazy
  • Informal
3 4.8
to work like a dog
  • Informal
8 3.4
hard work
355 1.6
work
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

work like a dog infinitive
worked like a dog past
worked like a dog past participle
working like a dog present participle
works like a dog third person singular

Morphology

work + like + a + dog

The comparator 'like' makes the construction compositional in form — it literally says to work in the manner of a dog — so a learner can infer a general metaphorical comparison. However, the specific sense 'very hard and tirelessly' depends on cultural/idiomatic associations of dogs with arduous or relentless labor, which is not fully predictable from the constituent words alone and may vary across languages and learners.

Etymology

The idiom work like a dog comes from old farm life where the dog did long, hard jobs and kept going with little rest. So, to work like a dog means 'to work very hard'.