plodding
Moving without haste
Plodding describes slow, heavy, laborious movement or effort—the pace of someone trudging through mud or grinding through tedious work.
A plodding walk lacks spring; a plodding narrative lacks momentum.
The word often implies dullness or lack of imagination: a plodding bureaucrat, plodding prose.
What's plodding may be steady and persistent, but it's never exciting.
Demanding strenuous effort
- exhaustingDepleting one's stamina
- gruelingExtremely tiring and demanding
- strenuousRequiring intense exertion
- toilsomeRequiring strenuous effort
slogging · drudging · taxing · tiring · fatiguing · effortful · uphill · hard-won
Walk slowly, heavily
- shamblingAwkward, unsteady walking
- lumberingMoving heavily and awkwardly
- sluggishSlow and inactive
- crawlingMoving on hands, knees
creeping · unhurried · leaden · dragging · shuffling · labored · snail-paced · tortoise-like
Following ordered procedures
- deliberateConsciously chosen, not accidental
- steadyFixed, not fluctuating
- persistentContinuing despite difficulty
- doggedStubbornly persevering
step-by-step · sequential · painstaking · thorough · meticulous · unhurried · measured · careful
Unchangingly dull
- drearyDull and depressing
- boringFailing to engage interest
- dullLacking edge or interest
- humdrumLacking variety or excitement
repetitive · mundane · tiresome · unexciting · uninspiring · prosaic · drab · stale
Persistent grip or resolve
- persistenceContinuing despite difficulty
- doggednessUnyielding determination to continue
- determinationFirmness of purpose
- gritDetermination or abrasive particles
stamina · steadfastness · perseverance · resilience · fortitude · patience · unflagging · unwavering
arduous
Demanding strenuous effort
- exhaustingDepleting one's stamina
- gruelingExtremely tiring and demanding
- strenuousRequiring intense exertion
toilsome · slogging · drudging · taxing · tiring · fatiguing · effortful · uphill · hard-won · backbreaking
trudge
Walk slowly, heavily
crawling · creeping · unhurried · leaden · dragging · shuffling · labored · snail-paced · tortoise-like · dawdling
systematic
Following ordered procedures
- deliberateConsciously chosen, not accidental
- steadyFixed, not fluctuating
- persistentContinuing despite difficulty
dogged · step-by-step · sequential · painstaking · thorough · meticulous · unhurried · measured · careful · patient
monotonous
Unchangingly dull
humdrum · repetitive · mundane · tiresome · unexciting · uninspiring · prosaic · drab · stale · banal
tenacity
Persistent grip or resolve
- persistenceContinuing despite difficulty
- doggednessUnyielding determination to continue
- determinationFirmness of purpose
grit · stamina · steadfastness · perseverance · resilience · fortitude · patience · unflagging · unwavering · indefatigable
- slow growthstagnation, stunting, crawling, delayed development, creeping
- movementwalk, move, go, run, jump
- walkingwalking, brisk walking, strolling, ambling, sauntering
- exertioneffort, straining, strain, heaving, labor
- forward motionwalking, running, jogging, sprinting, marching
- setbacksfailing, back to square one, stuck, losing, stumbles