work like a dog
Labor extremely hard
To work like a dog is to labor strenuously and tirelessly, often at unpleasant or demanding tasks: She worked like a dog to put herself through school.
The comparison draws on the image of working dogs—herding, hauling, guarding—rather than pampered house pets.
The phrase emphasizes exhausting effort, not skill or reward.
- sweatMoisture from skin pores
- blood sweat and tearsMaximum physical and emotional exertion
- dog-tiredExtremely fatigued
- toilStrenuous, prolonged effort
- grindCrush into particles
nose to the grindstone · dogged · labor · drudgery · thankless · push · bone-tired · dead on one's feet · exhausted · slave · long hours · burn the midnight oil · hardworking · struggle · slog · pull out all the stops · tireless · bust a gut
- workjob, 9 to 5, jobs, labor, employee
- labor idiomsnose to the grindstone, burning the midnight oil, pull your weight, crunch time, elbow grease
- work idiomsburning out, rat race, climb the ladder, glass ceiling, golden handshake
- burnoutburned out, burnt out, burn out, burning out, burnout
- Work JargonASAP, FYI, EOD, synergy, deliverable
work like a dogslack off
Reduce one's effort
take it easy · loaf around · goof off · coast · phone it in
work like a dogshirk
Evade one's obligations
goof off · slack · loaf · goldbricking · malingering
work, worker, working, works, workers, worked, workout, workday, rework