chore

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A small, regular job that needs doing, especially housework, and that people usually find boring.

   Grammar: Often used in the plural for jobs around the home: household chores.

   Patterns

   • do the chores
   • a chore to do
   • chores around the house

   Washing the dishes is my least favorite chore.

   The children split the weekend chores between them.

   He finished his chores before going outside to play.

2. 2nounusually singularinformal

   Any task that feels unpleasant or tiresome, even if it is not housework.

   Grammar: Often used with a: be a chore.

   Patterns

   • be a chore
   • make something a chore

   Filling out the tax forms was a real chore.

   Reading the manual felt like a chore.

   Driving through the traffic every day is a chore.

Word forms

Common combinations

household chores

They share the household chores equally.

do chores

I do chores on Saturday mornings.

a daily chore

Feeding the chickens is a daily chore.

a tedious chore

Sorting the mail is a tedious chore.

a chore chart

The kids check the chore chart each morning.

Synonyms and how they differ

task

Task is neutral and can mean any job, while chore adds the idea that it is dull.

errand

An errand is a short trip to do something, such as buying stamps, whereas a chore is done on the spot.

drudgery

Drudgery means hard, boring work in general and is uncountable, unlike chore.

job

A job is a general piece of work and has no hint of boredom.

Opposites

Word family

chores noun

jobs done around the home

choreography noun

arranged dance moves; spelled with similar letters but unrelated

Commonly confused: chore or chorus?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “chore”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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