30 Idioms for Working Hard

Hard work is the cornerstone of success, and it’s something that’s often expressed in creative and figurative ways. Whether you’re describing someone putting in long hours, pushing through tough challenges, or staying committed to their goals, idioms for working hard offer a vivid and engaging way to communicate that effort.

In this article, you’ll discover 30 idioms for working hard, each highlighting a different aspect of hard work, dedication, and persistence. These idioms will help you convey the concept of working hard with creativity and precision.

1. Burning the Midnight Oil

Meaning: To work late into the night, usually to complete a task or project.
In a Sentence:

He’s been burning the midnight oil to get the report done by tomorrow.
She burned the midnight oil last week preparing for the final presentation.
Other Ways to Say: Working late, staying up late, working into the night

2. Putting Your Nose to the Grindstone

Meaning: To focus on hard work and stay committed to a task.
In a Sentence:

She’s been putting her nose to the grindstone to finish the project on time.
After the promotion, he really started putting his nose to the grindstone to prove his worth.
Other Ways to Say: Working diligently, focusing hard, staying focused

3. Going the Extra Mile

Meaning: To put in more effort than is required or expected.
In a Sentence:

He always goes the extra mile to ensure the team’s success.
She’s always willing to go the extra mile to help out.
Other Ways to Say: Exceeding expectations, putting in extra effort, going above and beyond

4. Rolling Up One’s Sleeves

Meaning: To prepare for hard work, often by physically getting ready to tackle a task.
In a Sentence:

The team rolled up their sleeves and started working on the project.
It’s time to roll up our sleeves and get this done.
Other Ways to Say: Getting to work, diving in, preparing to work hard

5. Sweat Blood

Meaning: To work extremely hard and put in great effort, often to the point of exhaustion.
In a Sentence:

She’s been sweating blood to get this business off the ground.
He’s sweating blood to finish the report before the deadline.
Other Ways to Say: Struggling, toiling, working tirelessly

6. Grinding Away

Meaning: To work persistently and steadily at something, often for a long period of time.
In a Sentence:

She’s been grinding away at the project all week to make sure it’s finished on time.
After several months of grinding away, he finally saw results from his efforts.
Other Ways to Say: Toiling, working steadily, laboring

7. Digging In Your Heels

Meaning: To resist or refuse to give up, even when facing challenges.
In a Sentence:

Despite the challenges, she’s digging in her heels and finishing the task.
He was digging in his heels when the manager suggested cutting his team.
Other Ways to Say: Stubbornly continuing, standing firm, not backing down

8. Breaking Your Back

Meaning: To put in a lot of effort or work extremely hard, often in a physically demanding way.
In a Sentence:

He’s been breaking his back to meet the deadline, working long hours every day.
She broke her back carrying out the renovation work on the house.
Other Ways to Say: Working hard, exerting oneself, putting in maximum effort

9. Putting in the Hours

Meaning: To work for a long time, often beyond what is expected, to achieve something.
In a Sentence:

He’s putting in the hours to master the new software and meet his goals.
The team is putting in the hours to finish the project before the deadline.
Other Ways to Say: Working long hours, committing extra time, putting in overtime

10. Giving It Your All

Meaning: To put all of your energy, effort, and resources into something.
In a Sentence:

She’s giving it her all to make sure the event goes smoothly.
He gave it his all during the final quarter of the game to help his team win.
Other Ways to Say: Doing your best, putting in maximum effort, fully committing

11. Busting Your Gut

Meaning: To work extremely hard, often to the point of exhaustion.
In a Sentence:

He’s been busting his gut trying to meet the new project deadline.
She was busting her gut all week to prepare for the important presentation.
Other Ways to Say: Working tirelessly, exerting oneself, working relentlessly

12. Knuckling Down

Meaning: To start working hard and seriously, often after a period of procrastination or distraction.
In a Sentence:

After a few weeks of delay, he finally knuckled down and finished the report.
It’s time to knuckle down and focus on getting the job done.
Other Ways to Say: Focusing, settling down to work, getting serious

13. Toil and Trouble

Meaning: Hard work, often with difficulty or struggle.
In a Sentence:

The project involved a lot of toil and trouble, but the results were worth it.
It was a year of toil and trouble, but the team finally succeeded.
Other Ways to Say: Hard labor, strenuous effort, challenging work

14. Breaking the Back of the Work

Meaning: To get through the most difficult part of a task or project.
In a Sentence:

After the long hours, we finally broke the back of the work and could see the light at the end of the tunnel.
He’s almost done with the report, having already broken the back of the work.
Other Ways to Say: Completing the hardest part, tackling the difficult part, overcoming the toughest challenge

15. Shouldering the Burden

Meaning: To take on a heavy responsibility or to do a lot of hard work, especially when it is difficult.
In a Sentence:

She’s been shouldering the burden of the project, ensuring everything runs smoothly.
He’s shouldering the burden of managing the entire team while we look for a new leader.
Other Ways to Say: Carrying the weight, taking responsibility, doing the hard work

16. Getting Your Hands Dirty

Meaning: To engage in hard or unpleasant work, often by physically working on something.
In a Sentence:

He didn’t hesitate to get his hands dirty and help clean up the mess.
She’s not afraid of getting her hands dirty, even if it means working long hours.
Other Ways to Say: Doing the hard work, getting involved, working hands-on

17. Hitting the Ground Running

Meaning: To start working on something with immediate energy and enthusiasm.
In a Sentence:

She hit the ground running and quickly became one of the top performers on the team.
As soon as he started the new job, he hit the ground running and made an impact.
Other Ways to Say: Starting with energy, diving right in, getting started immediately

18. Sweating It Out

Meaning: To work very hard or endure a difficult situation with effort and persistence.
In a Sentence:

He’s been sweating it out for hours, trying to finish the report.
The team was sweating it out in the final minutes of the game, but they won in the end.
Other Ways to Say: Struggling, putting in the effort, working hard under pressure

19. Burning the Candle at Both Ends

Meaning: To work extremely hard by staying up late and getting up early, often leading to exhaustion.
In a Sentence:

She’s been burning the candle at both ends, trying to juggle work and school.
He’s been burning the candle at both ends to meet the deadline.
Other Ways to Say: Overworking, exhausting oneself, working overtime

20. Pushing the Envelope

Meaning: To go beyond the usual limits or boundaries, often by working harder or being more creative.
In a Sentence:

The team is always pushing the envelope, coming up with innovative solutions to problems.
By constantly pushing the envelope, he helped the company achieve remarkable success.
Other Ways to Say: Exceeding limits, challenging norms, going beyond expectations

21. Putting Your Back Into It

Meaning: To put in a lot of physical effort and energy into a task.
In a Sentence:

If you want to finish this task quickly, you’ll need to put your back into it.
They really put their backs into it when it came to lifting all those boxes.
Other Ways to Say: Working hard, exerting effort, going all in

22. Doing the Heavy Lifting

Meaning: To do the most difficult or important part of the work.
In a Sentence:

She’s been doing the heavy lifting on the project, ensuring that everything stays on track.
John has been doing the heavy lifting while the rest of us handle smaller tasks.
Other Ways to Say: Carrying the load, taking on the hard work, doing the hard part

23. Working Around the Clock

Meaning: To work continuously, without taking breaks, often for long hours.
In a Sentence:

The team has been working around the clock to finish the product by the deadline.
She’s been working around the clock to ensure the event is a success.
Other Ways to Say: Nonstop work, working endlessly, putting in overtime

24. Giving It 110%

Meaning: To put in extra effort, beyond what is required.
In a Sentence:

He’s always giving it 110%, ensuring that every task is completed to perfection.
She’s been giving it 110% in her studies to prepare for the final exams.
Other Ways to Say: Putting in maximum effort, going all out, overachieving

25. Lifting a Finger

Meaning: To do the smallest amount of work or help, often reluctantly.
In a Sentence:

He didn’t lift a finger to help with the preparation, leaving everything to others.
She didn’t even lift a finger when the house needed cleaning.
Other Ways to Say: Doing the bare minimum, not helping, showing no effort

26. All Hands on Deck

Meaning: Everyone is needed to contribute or help with a task.
In a Sentence:

We need all hands on deck to get the project completed before the deadline.
With so much work to do, it was an all-hands-on-deck situation.
Other Ways to Say: Full team effort, everyone pitching in, total teamwork

27. Bend Over Backwards

Meaning: To try extremely hard to help someone or complete a task.
In a Sentence:

He bent over backwards to make sure the project was a success.
She bent over backwards to accommodate all the team’s needs.
Other Ways to Say: Going the extra mile, doing everything possible, doing one’s utmost

28. Sweat It Out

Meaning: To endure a difficult or challenging situation, often by working hard.
In a Sentence:

She had to sweat it out during the final moments of the game, but it paid off.
He sweated it out in the office, staying late to finish his work.
Other Ways to Say: Endure, struggle through, work under pressure

29. Hit the Books

Meaning: To study hard, usually for exams or tests.
In a Sentence:

I need to hit the books if I want to do well on the final exam.
He’s been hitting the books all weekend to prepare for the big presentation.
Other Ways to Say: Study hard, cram, prepare intensively

30. Give 100%

Meaning: To put in one’s maximum effort.
In a Sentence:

She gave 100% during the entire project, ensuring its success.
If you want to succeed, you have to give 100% every time.
Other Ways to Say: Put in full effort, go all in, give it your best shot

Fill in the blanks:

She had to _______________ to finish the project on time, working late every night.
Everyone is going to need to _______________ if we want to complete this task today.
He’s been _______________ trying to meet the new deadline.
She _______________ in the morning and continued working until late at night.
After the announcement, he really started _______________ to ensure the success of the event.
The team is _______________ to get everything ready for the launch.
When they gave him extra responsibilities, he just kept _______________ without complaining.
He’s always _______________ when a problem needs solving.
She’s been _______________ on the project for hours, making sure all the details are perfect.
It’s time to _______________ and focus on completing the task.
They’re _______________ to make sure the team stays on track.
He _______________ during the whole summer to prepare for the competition.
She’s been _______________ to finish this long-term project.
He’s been _______________ under the weight of the workload.
They have to _______________ to finish this complex project on time.
To make it happen, we’ll need everyone _______________ to help.
He’s _______________ to help the team with the strategy, putting in his maximum effort.
The new manager didn’t hesitate to _______________ and start helping out with tasks.
He’s been _______________ trying to resolve the issues in the new software.
After the meeting, she started _______________ to ensure the proposal was perfect.
He’s been _______________ with no breaks, preparing for the upcoming presentation.
She’s _______________ to ensure everything is done correctly.
He’s been working 24/7, _______________ to meet the product launch deadline.
He _______________ to finish his coursework and study for exams.
Everyone had to _______________ and get involved to make the event a success.
He’s been _______________ for hours to finish the calculations for the report.
He’s been _______________ since early morning to ensure the event runs smoothly.

Answer Key

a) Burning the Midnight Oil
aa) All Hands on Deck
f) Grinding Away
d) Rolling Up One’s Sleeves
j) Giving It Your All
i) Putting in the Hours
g) Digging In Your Heels
h) Breaking Your Back
i) Putting in the Hours
l) Knuckling Down
n) Breaking the Back of the Work
o) Shouldering the Burden
p) Getting Your Hands Dirty
u) Doing the Heavy Lifting
e) Giving It 110%
aa) All Hands on Deck
t) Pushing the Envelope
v) Putting Your Back Into It
r) Sweating It Out
p) Getting Your Hands Dirty
x) Working Around the Clock
bb) Bending Over Backwards
x) Working Around the Clock
dd) Hit the Books
aa) All Hands on Deck
f) Grinding Away
r) Sweating It Out

Conclusion

Hard work is an essential part of success, and using vivid idioms to describe the effort and dedication that goes into working hard can add color and depth to your communication. These 30 idioms for working hard not only convey the physical and mental effort required to get things done but also highlight the perseverance and determination needed to overcome challenges.

By incorporating these idioms into your conversations or writing, you can express admiration for someone’s work ethic or describe your own dedication in a more engaging way. From “burning the midnight oil” to “giving it 110%,” these idioms allow you to creatively describe different aspects of hard work, from the daily grind to the moments of intense effort and persistence.

Next time you’re discussing a project or reflecting on your own efforts, use these idioms to capture the spirit of hard work and show that success doesn’t come easily—it’s the result of consistent, relentless effort.