ENGLISH
REFERENCE

work like a horse

idiom
Meaning

To work very hard; to toil.


Examples
SIMPLE

He works like a horse to support his family.

CONTEXTUAL

She works like a horse every day to finish the project before the deadline.

COMPLEX

Although he works like a horse to maintain the estate, the aging structure requires constant and expensive repairs.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    and the like

    And other similar items; et cetera.

  2. 02

    be like

    To say.

  3. 03

    beat a dead horse

    To persist or continue far beyond any purpose, interest or reason.

  4. 04

    built like a brick outhouse

    Synonym of built like a brick shithouse.

  5. 05

    built like a brick shipyard

    Synonym of built like a brick shithouse.

  6. 06

    built like a brick shithouse

    Of a man, having a muscular body, particularly with well-developed muscles of the chest, arms and abdominals.

  7. 07

    busy work

    Work or activity performed with the intention or result of occupying time, and not necessarily to accomplish something productive; routine work of low priority undertaken for the sake of avoiding idleness.

  8. 08

    change horses in midstream

    To change one's plan or approach when an effort is already underway or at another inopportune time.

Last updated April 17, 2026