back-breaking (work)
Meaning(s)
1. something extremely tiring and difficult, often requiring heavy physical exertion
Popularity
High
Professional
High
Social
How to Memorize
the work I did outside today was absolutely back-breaking!
Analysis
This idiom is generally used to refer to manual labour, but can also express any type of difficult or exhausting work. For example, if a job or task requires a lot of running around, or is simply mentally draining, it will still have a physical effect on a person, even if it is just to feel extremely tired. For that reason, this expression can be used in a context that does not necessarily involve lifting or moving heavy things. Phrases that share a similar meaning include 'work your fingers to the bone,' and 'do the donkey work.'
Social Examples (Basic)
- Doing that digging in the garden ended up being back-breaking work. I need a good lie down after all that!
- Fixing up the house was absolutely back-breaking. I would have been better off hiring someone to do it for me.
Professional Examples (Basic)
- After months of back-breaking work, we finally managed to get the new business up and running.
- Working in a busy kitchen is back-breaking work but it is worth it when you get great reviews and people enjoy their food.