Definition
A person who does hard, tedious, and unpleasant work, especially for low pay.
Etymology
Origin uncertain, possibly from Middle Dutch 'drudgen' or an imitative origin. First appeared in English in the 1520s, describing those stuck doing monotonous labor.
Kelly Says
The word 'drudge' became famous in literature as a symbol of inequality—Cinderella is essentially a drudge, which is why her transformation is so powerful as a fantasy!
Translations
AMአማርኛ
ትእዛዝ አስፈላጊ
te-e-zaaz as-fe-la-gi
ARالعربية
عمل شاق
amal shaq
BNবাংলা
কঠিন কাজ
koth-in kaaj
CACatalà
treball dur
tre-ball dur
CSČeština
těžká práce
tezh-ka praca
DADansk
kæmpe arbejde
kem-pe ar-bejde
DEDeutsch
Schlachter
shla-k-ter
ELΕλληνικά
αποβουλευτική εργασία
a-po-vuleu-ti-ki er-ga-sia
ESEspañol
esfuerzo
es-fwer-so
FAفارسی
کار سخت
kaar shekht
FISuomi
rankka työ
ran-kka työ
FRFrançais
corvée
kor-vay
GUGU
કઠણ કામ
ka-than kaam
HAHA
aiki mai wahala
a-iki mai wa-ha-la
HEעברית
עבודה קשה
avoda kash
HIहिन्दी
कठिन काम
kathin kaam
HUMagyar
nehezenes munka
ne-he-ze-nes mun-ka
IDBahasa Indonesia
pekerjaan berat
pe-kerja-an be-rat
IGIG
nwanyi ọsọ
n-wa-ni o-so
ITItaliano
lavoro duro
la-vo-ro doo-ro
KKKK
ауыс-ауыс істеу
aw-ys-aw-ys istew
KMKM
ការងារកठोर
ka-ar ng-a-or ka-thor
MRMR
कठीण काम
ka-thin kaam
MSBahasa Melayu
kerja berat
ker-ja be-rat
MYမြန်မာ
ချိတ်ချိတ် လုပ်ငန်း
che-chet chet lo-ng-an
NLNederlands
zware klus
zware klus
NONorsk
kjempejobb
kem-pe-jobb
PAPA
ਮੁਸ਼ਕਿਲ ਕੰਮ
mu-sh-kil kaam
PLPolski
ciężka praca
chezh-ka praca
PTPortuguês
trabalho árduo
tra-ba-lho ar-doo
RORomână
muncă grea
mun-ca grea
RUРусский
каторга
ka-tor-ga
SVSvenska
tråkigt jobb
trå-kit jobb
SWKiswahili
kazi ngumu
ka-zi ng-u-mu
TAதமிழ்
கடினமான வேலை
ka-di-na-maa-na ve-lai
TEతెలుగు
కష్టమైన పని
ka-sh-ta-ma-in pa-ni
TLTL
mahirap na trabaho
mah-ee-rap na tra-ba-ho
TRTürkçe
mecburi iş
me-ch-u-ri ish
UKУкраїнська
важка робота
vazh-ka robo-ta
URاردو
مشقت ناک کام
mesh-qut na-ak kaam
VITiếng Việt
công việc vất vả
cong viec vat va
YOYO
ẹ̀rọ̀ ẹ̀kọ́
e-ro e-ko
ZUZU
umsebenzi omubi
um-se-ben-zi om-u-bi
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
Historically associated with repetitive, low-status labor often performed by women and enslaved people. The term encodes class and gender assumptions about whose work is valued.
Inclusive Usage
Use 'drudge' to describe the work itself, not to characterize people as drudges. Avoid suggesting certain groups are naturally suited to tedious labor.
Inclusive Alternatives
["routine labor","repetitive work","monotonous task"]
Empowerment Note
Women throughout history have fought against being confined to drudgery; recognize their organizational labor, care work, and advocacy beyond stereotypical invisible roles.