noun
toil
toyl
noun
1
Hard, exhausting work.
"Years of toil in the fields had left his hands rough and calloused."
"After months of toil, the small business finally turned a profit."
verb
1
To work long and hard, often at something difficult or tedious.
"She toiled late into the night to finish the report."
"They toiled for years before the invention finally worked."
How to Use Toil
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishWorking very hard, usually over a long period, especially at something tiring or difficult.
When to use it
Somewhat literary or formal; everyday speech usually just says "work hard" instead.
Common pairings
toil and trouble
toil away
years of toil
Word Forms
toiled past tense, toils plural, toils singular
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Etymology
From Middle English "toilen," blending an Anglo-Norman word meaning "to agitate or entangle" with an Old English word meaning "to labour or strive."