work one's fingers to the bone

verb

To work especially hard, usually for an extended period.

Similar
toil
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbwork one's fingers to the bone (third-person singular simple present works one's fingers to the bone, present participle working one's fingers to the bone, simple past and past participle worked one's fingers to the bone)

present singular third person works one's fingers to the bone · participle present working one's fingers to the bone · participle past worked one's fingers to the bone · past worked one's fingers to the bone

  1. idiomaticinformalTo work especially hard, usually for an extended period.

    You work all week long / You work your fingers to the bone / Friday's at an end / I can't wait for Saturday to begin

    1983, “Get Down Saturday Night”, in Saturday Night, performed by Oliver Cheatham

    Synonyms: toil

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo work especially hard, usually for an extended period.

Similar
toil

Translations

Finnish tehdä töitä niska limassa, rehkiä niska limassa
  • tehdä töitä niska limassaTranslations
  • rehkiä niska limassaTranslations
  • raataa niska limassaTranslations
French travailler comme un forcené, travailler comme un forçat
  • travailler comme un forcenéTranslations
  • travailler comme un forçatTranslations
  • travailler comme un nègreTranslations
Italian lavorare fino alla stremo, rompersi la schiena
  • lavorare fino alla stremoTranslations
  • rompersi la schienaTranslations
  • ammazzarsi di lavoroTranslations
Polish harować jak wół
  • harować jak wółTranslations
Swedish slita häcken av sig
  • slita häcken av sigTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

work one's fingers to the bone. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/work%20one's%20fingers%20to%20the%20bone

MLA

“work one's fingers to the bone.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/work%20one's%20fingers%20to%20the%20bone. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “work one's fingers to the bone,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/work%20one's%20fingers%20to%20the%20bone.

Source: work one's fingers to the bone on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.