work someone's ass off

verb

(idiomatic, vulgar, slang) To work, or cause to work, excessively or to the point of exhaustion; see work + someone's ass off.

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Meanings

verbwork someone's ass off (third-person singular simple present works someone's ass off, present participle working someone's ass off, simple past and past participle worked someone's ass off)

present singular third person works someone's ass off · participle present working someone's ass off · participle past worked someone's ass off · past worked someone's ass off · alternative work someone's arse off

  1. USThis entry is a translation hub.(idiomatic, vulgar, slang) To work, or cause to work, excessively or to the point of exhaustion; see work + someone's ass off.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
work someone's butt off

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 拼命工作, 做牛做馬 /做牛做马
  • 拼命工作 (pīnmìng gōngzuò)to work excessively
  • 做牛做馬 /做牛做马 (zuòniúzuòmǎ)to work excessively
Dutch zich uit de naad werken
  • zich uit de naad werkento work excessively
Finnish raataa, tehdä töitä niska limassa
  • raataato work excessively
  • tehdä töitä niska limassato work excessively
  • tehdä töitä hiki hatussato work excessively
  • panna raatamaanto cause (someone) to work excessively
  • laittaa raatamaanto cause (someone) to work excessively
French travailler comme un dératé, travailler comme un forcené
  • travailler comme un dératéto work excessively
  • travailler comme un forcenéto work excessively
German sich den Arsch aufreißen, den Arsch aufreißen
  • sich den Arsch aufreißento work excessively
  • den Arsch aufreißento cause (someone) to work excessively
Greek μου βγαίνει ο κώλος
  • μου βγαίνει ο κώλος (mou vgaínei o kólos)to work excessively
Hungarian agyondolgozza magát, halálra dolgozza magát
  • agyondolgozza magátto work excessively
  • halálra dolgozza magátto work excessively
  • kipurcan, annyit dolgozikto work excessively
  • beledöglik a sok munkábato work excessively
  • halálra dolgoztatto cause (someone) to work excessively
  • agyondolgoztatto cause (someone) to work excessively
Italian farsi un culo così
  • farsi un culo cosìto work excessively
Japanese 身を粉にして働く, 馬車馬のように働く
  • 身を粉にして働く (mi-o konishite hataraku)to work excessively
  • 馬車馬のように働く (bashauma-no yō-ni hataraku)to work excessively
  • がむしゃらに働く (gamushara-ni hataraku)to work excessively
  • 齷齪働く (akuseku hataraku)to work excessively
  • あくせく働く (akuseku hataraku)to work excessively
  • 一生懸命に働く (isshōkenmei-ni hataraku)to work excessively
Polish wypruwać sobie żyły, wypruć sobie żyły
  • wypruwać sobie żyłyto work excessively
  • wypruć sobie żyłyto work excessively
  • zapierdalaćto work excessively
  • harowaćto work excessively
  • zmuszać do harówkito cause (someone) to work excessively
  • zmusić do harówkito cause (someone) to work excessively
Portuguese dar duro, tirar o couro de
  • dar duroto work excessively
  • tirar o couro deto cause (someone) to work excessively
Russian вка́лывать, надрыва́ться
  • вка́лывать (vkályvatʹ)to work excessively
  • надрыва́ться (nadryvátʹsja)to work excessively
  • корпе́ть (korpétʹ)to work excessively
  • вьёбывать (vʹjóbyvatʹ)to work excessively
Spanish trabajar duro, hacer chambear duramente
  • trabajar duroto work excessively
  • hacer chambear duramenteto cause (someone) to work excessively
Swedish jobba häcken av sig
  • jobba häcken av sigto work excessively
Cite this entry
APA

work someone's ass off. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/work%20someone's%20ass%20off

MLA

“work someone's ass off.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/work%20someone's%20ass%20off. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “work someone's ass off,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/work%20someone's%20ass%20off.

Source: work someone's ass off on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.