slugging away
Working through it
Slugging away means working hard at something over an extended period, especially when the task is tedious or progress is slow.
The phrase suggests persistence through difficulty rather than quick success: She's been slugging away at her dissertation for three years.
Related to slug in its sense of hitting repeatedly—you keep taking swings at the problem.
- toilingWorking strenuously, exhaustingly
- hard workSustained strenuous effort
- workingIn active function
- producingMaking or generating
- grindingMolar action sometimes
nose to the grindstone · striving · determined · blood sweat and tears · creating · sweating · laboring · day in day out · tenacious · gritty · performing · persevering · pushing · enduring · hanging in there · exerting · hustling · accomplishing
slugging awayquitting
Ceasing an activity
giving up · abandoning · throwing in the towel · surrendering · calling it quits
slugging awayslacking off
Neglecting responsibilities deliberately
idling · loafing · coasting · relaxing · taking it easy