# heavy going

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/heavy-going
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Something that is boring; difficult to make progress on, or tedious

## Examples

- This book is heavy going, so I might stop reading it.
- Walking through the deep mud is heavy going.
- The project was heavy going because the instructions were unclear and we lacked the right tools.
- The meeting was heavy going because the manager spent two hours explaining every tiny detail of the new budget.
- I find learning this new software heavy going since the menus are confusing and nothing works the way I expect.
- The first few miles of the hike were heavy going because the trail was steep and covered in loose rocks that made every step difficult.
- Although the historical biography was meticulously researched, the dense prose made it heavy going for even the most dedicated scholars.

## Origin

Derived from the nineteenth-century terminology of horse racing. The phrase describes the state of a racecourse where the ground has become saturated with water, making it difficult for horses to move with any degree of speed. While the turf remains technically intact, the mud offers sufficient resistance that progress is considered a matter of significant physical exertion.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.