work horse
Steady, reliable producer
A workhorse is a horse used for labor rather than riding or racing—pulling plows, hauling loads.
The figurative sense dominates: a workhorse is a person or thing that performs reliably and tirelessly without much recognition: She's the workhorse of the department.
A workhorse appliance or vehicle is durable and dependable rather than flashy.
Also spelled as two words.
- packhorseEquine cargo carrier
- pack animalAnimal carrying loads
- mountClimb up or steed
- steedSpirited riding horse
- heavy liftingArduous physical or mental exertion
farm hand · team player · backbone · industriousness · mule · tilling · beast of burden · nose to the grindstone · long haul · mainstay · salt of the earth · dependability · reliability · endurance · Clydesdale · grit · tractor · Percheron
- workjob, 9 to 5, jobs, labor, employee
- Animal Idiomsblind as a bat, brave as a lion, busy bee, copycat, eats like a bird
- equinesmare, stallion, donkey, foal, pony
- work ethicdiligence, industriousness, go-getter, perseverance, self-starter
- working animalsherding, gun dog, guarding, pulling, hunting dog
- harness horsesstandardbred, hackney, trotter, trotters, pacer
work horseshow pony
Attractive but superficial performer
show horse · racehorse · parade horse · hobby horse · polo pony
work horseshow pony
Attractive but superficial performer
slacker · prima donna · diva · glory hound · free rider
work horsestar
Luminous astronomical object
superstar · show pony · golden boy · trophy · figurehead