backbreaking

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈbækˌbreɪkɪŋ/ UK /ˈbækˌbreɪkɪŋ/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
physically exhausting and arduous

The harvest was backbreaking work from dawn until well past dusk.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · physically exhausting and... exhausting arduous grueling laborious strenuous punishing

Opposites

easy effortless

Word family

Related forms back break

Etymology

From back + breaking, the image being of labor so heavy it would break one's back.

bæc Old English brecan Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# backbreaking

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˈbækˌbreɪkɪŋ
**IPA (UK):** ˈbækˌbreɪkɪŋ

## Meanings
1. physically exhausting and arduous

## Examples
- The harvest was backbreaking work from dawn until well past dusk.

## Synonyms
- exhausting
- arduous
- grueling
- laborious
- strenuous
- punishing

## Antonyms
- easy
- effortless

## Related Forms
- back
- break

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: bæc
- Root: brecan

## Etymology
From back + breaking, the image being of labor so heavy it would break one's back.

## AI Etymology
Backbreaking is an adjective meaning "physically exhausting and arduous". Historically, it is from back + breaking, the image being of labor so heavy it would break one's back. The visible construction is part of the etymology: backbreaking is not just an unanalyzed simple word. The historical chain links Old English bæc with Old English brecan. Close English family members include back, and break. This keeps the modern adjective sense tied to the older forms and language sequence behind it.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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backbreaking

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