Meaning & use
work hard, play hard
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phraseinformal
a belief or motto that you should put great effort into your job and also enjoy yourself intensely in your free time
Grammar: Used as a saying or motto; it can stand alone or follow a linking verb like be.
Patterns
- live by work hard, play hard
- a work hard, play hard culture
She lives by the motto work hard, play hard, so she studies all week and goes dancing every weekend.
The company has a work hard, play hard culture, with long hours followed by big parties.
He says work hard, play hard keeps him motivated and stops him from getting bored.
adjectivebefore a nouninformal
describing a person, group, or place that combines serious effort with lively enjoyment
Grammar: Comes before a noun, often with hyphens: a work-hard-play-hard attitude.
Patterns
- a work hard, play hard attitude
- a work hard, play hard lifestyle
They have a work hard, play hard attitude that suits young graduates.
The team's work hard, play hard lifestyle means late nights in the office and later nights out.
Common combinations
- live by work hard, play hard
- My grandfather lived by work hard, play hard long before it became a popular phrase.
- a work hard, play hard culture
- The startup's work hard, play hard culture attracted people who wanted both challenge and fun.
- a work hard, play hard attitude
- Her work hard, play hard attitude impressed the managers during the busy season.
- the work hard, play hard motto
- The work hard, play hard motto is printed on the office wall.
Synonyms and how they differ
- all work and no play
- This phrase describes the opposite situation, where someone has no fun, so it is not a synonym.
- burn the candle at both ends
- This means to exhaust yourself by doing too much, while work hard, play hard suggests a balanced, positive choice.
Commonly confused: work hard, play hard or hard work pays off?
work hard, play hard vs hard work pays off
That saying is only about effort leading to success; work hard, play hard also includes the idea of enjoying yourself.
Practice
Which sentence uses "work hard, play hard" correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrase means balancing intense work with intense enjoyment, so relaxing completely on weekends fits. Option A changes the phrase into a different structure and adds 'never rests,' which contradicts the idea of play. Option C and D deny the 'play' part, so they do not fit the meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “work hard, play hard”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.