What it means
A slog is a grim, tiring stretch of work that feels like it’ll never end, whether it’s a shift, a hike, or a mountain of uni reading. If someone says what a slog, they mean it took ages and absolutely drained them. To slog through something is to keep plodding on anyway, even when every minute feels like hard graft.
Usage examples
"That revision session was a proper slog, mate, I was up till 2 with a brew and a sad biscuit, but I got it done."
"The last mile uphill in the rain was a proper slog, we barely spoke and just kept plodding."
"Tax season is a slog at the office, three weeks of late nights and nothing but spreadsheets and bad coffee."
"We had to slog through four hours of onboarding videos before they’d even give us the login, absolute soul-drain stuff."
"Getting that sofa up three flights with no lift was a right slog, by the end we were sweaty, fuming, and seeing stars."
Where it comes from
It goes back to the English verb slog, first used for hitting hard or delivering heavy blows. By the 1800s it had stretched into the idea of hard, punishing effort and long drudgery. That older thumping force still hangs on, so a slog feels rough, slow, and properly draining.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
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