toil

¹

[ toil ]

noun

1. hard and continuous work; exhausting labor or effort.

   Synonyms: travail, exertion, pains

   Antonyms: sloth, indolence

2. a laborious task.
3. Archaic. battle; strife; struggle.

verb (used without object)

1. to engage in hard and continuous work; labor arduously:

   to toil in the fields.

   Synonyms: moil, strive

2. to move or travel with difficulty, weariness, or pain.

verb (used with object)

1. to accomplish or produce by toil.

toil

²

[ toil ]

noun

1. Usually toils.
   1. a net or series of nets in which game known to be in the area is trapped or into which game outside of the area is driven.
   2. trap; snare:

      to be caught in the toils of a gigantic criminal conspiracy.

2. Archaic. any snare or trap for wild beasts.

toil

¹

/ tɔɪl /

noun

1. often plural a net or snare

   the toils of fortune had ensnared him

2. archaic.
   a trap for wild beasts

toil

²

/ tɔɪl /

noun

1. hard or exhausting work
2. an obsolete word for strife

verb

1. intr to labour
2. intr to progress with slow painful movements

   to toil up a hill

3. archaic.
   tr to achieve by toil

Derived Forms

• ˈtoiler, noun

Other Words From

• toiler noun
• un·toiling adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of toil¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English noun toil(e) “violent conflict, battle,” from Anglo-French toil(e), toyl “contention,” from Old French toeil, tooil “confusion, contention, battle,” ultimately from Latin tudiculāre “to stir up, beat,” verbal derivative of tudicula “machine for crushing olives,” equivalent to tudi- (stem of tundere “to strike, beat”) + -cula -cule ²

Origin of toil²

Fifst recorded in 1520–30; from French toile, from Latin tēla “web”

Word History and Origins

Origin of toil¹

C16: from Old French toile, from Latin tēla loom

Origin of toil²

C13: from Anglo-French toiler to struggle, from Old French toeillier to confuse, from Latin tudiculāre to stir, from tudicula machine for bruising olives, from tudes a hammer, from tundere to beat

Example Sentences

Born in rural Puebla, they had been laboring since they were 6, tending to goats and cows and then toiling in cornfields.

From Los Angeles Times

While he toiled in the training room to return to the field, Chark, 28, watched with pride as the Chargers’ young receivers experienced their first breakthrough moments.

From Los Angeles Times

Students spend hours toiling over dead bodies with gratitude and reverence for the donation that allows them to practice and learn about human anatomy in their journey to become healers.

From Salon

The psychological toll of Lennon’s addictions is palpable, as is the personal toil that was required for him to will yet another album into being.

From Salon

The scorpion has depths that ensure their insides will also be pried open — whether they like it or not, and no matter how hard they may toil and calculate to keep all their secrets.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• strive
• sweat

When To Use

What are other ways to say toil?

The noun toil refers to hard and continuous work. How is toil different from drudgery, labor, and work? Find out on Thesaurus.com.