Phrasal verb
beaver away at
Definition
phrasal verb. to work very hard and steadily on a task for a long time.
phrasal verb. to work industriously and persistently at a specific task; implies a high level of diligence and focus over a sustained period.
Examples
“She is beavering away at her homework.”
“He spent the entire weekend beavering away at his tax returns to meet the deadline.”
“The researchers have been beavering away at the data for months, hoping to find a pattern that explains the sudden shift in climate.”
Examples
simple
“She is beavering away at her homework.”
contextual
“He spent the entire weekend beavering away at his tax returns to meet the deadline.”
complex
“The researchers have been beavering away at the data for months, hoping to find a pattern that explains the sudden shift in climate.”
Usage
usually followed by 'at' plus a noun or a gerund indicating the task.
Teaching tip
this is an idiomatic phrasal verb based on the animal's reputation for being busy; it is more informal than 'toil' but more descriptive than 'work hard'.
Pitfall
He is beavering at his project.
He is beavering away at his project.
the particle 'away' is necessary to convey the sense of continuous, hard work.
Phrasal verb
Particles
away at
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
beaver + away + at + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/beaver-away-at