A routine task, especially a household duty; a boring, unpleasant, or tedious task that must be done; OR (less common) a difficult or tiresome experience
Saturday mornings in the household always followed the same predictable pattern before anyone could enjoy their free time. Each family member had a chore to complete before noon, with the children vacuuming bedrooms, the father mowing the lawn, and the mother scrubbing the bathrooms, all working together to maintain the home they shared while dreaming of the relaxing afternoon that awaited them once everything was done.
This is the most common meaning of chore. A chore is a regular task you do to keep your home clean and functioning — washing dishes, doing laundry, vacuuming, taking out the trash, making beds. Parents often assign chores to children to teach responsibility. Roommates divide chores to share the workload. Nobody really loves doing chores, but they’re necessary parts of daily life. You’ll hear people talk about “doing chores,” “household chores,” or “finishing their chores” constantly in everyday conversation.
Vivid example: The children weren’t allowed to play video games until they had completed their chores for the day, which motivated them to wash the dishes and clean their rooms faster than their parents had ever seen them move before.
Beyond just housework, chore describes anything you find boring, unpleasant, or tiresome — something you have to do but definitely don’t want to. Filing taxes can feel like a chore. Answering hundreds of emails is a chore. When someone says “What a chore!” they’re expressing that something was tedious and draining. If you describe an activity as “a real chore,” you’re complaining about how annoying or boring it is. The word carries a sense of reluctant obligation — you’ll do it, but you won’t enjoy it.
Vivid example: Organizing her closet had always seemed like such a chore that she kept putting it off for months, until the pile of clothes on her floor grew so enormous that she finally had no choice but to spend an entire weekend sorting through the chaos.
In family contexts, chores are often specifically the tasks parents give children to help around the house and learn responsibility. Kids might earn allowance money by completing their chores. A “chore chart” tracks who does what and when. Arguments about chores are classic family conflicts — children complaining they do too much, parents insisting they don’t do enough. The system of assigning chores teaches work ethic, contribution to household duties, and the satisfaction of completing tasks.
Vivid example: The parents created a colorful chore chart for the refrigerator that listed each child’s daily responsibilities, promising a small weekly allowance to anyone who completed all their tasks without being reminded, which turned routine housework into something almost resembling a game.
In farming and rural communities, chores traditionally refers to the daily tasks required to maintain a farm — feeding animals, collecting eggs, milking cows, mucking out stalls. Morning and evening chores are part of the rhythm of farm life, done every single day regardless of weather, holidays, or how you’re feeling. This usage appears often in stories about rural life, country songs, and discussions about agricultural traditions where chores are just part of the expected daily routine.
Vivid example: Growing up on the farm meant waking before sunrise to do chores like feeding the chickens and milking the cows, a routine that taught him discipline and hard work long before he ever set foot in a classroom or held a formal job.
When something that should be enjoyable becomes exhausting or frustrating, people call it a chore. Reading a badly written book can be a chore. Having a conversation with a boring person feels like a chore. When a relationship becomes so difficult that spending time together feels like a chore, that’s a bad sign. This usage takes the original meaning of tedious housework and applies it to anything — the feeling of “I have to get through this” rather than “I want to do this.”
Vivid example: The movie was so slow and boring that watching it became an absolute chore, with half the audience checking their phones constantly and the other half struggling to keep their eyes open through the seemingly endless two and a half hours.
Sometimes chore emphasizes the sense of obligation — something you do because you must, not because you want to. Going to certain family gatherings might feel like a chore. Exercising can feel like a chore before it becomes a habit. The word captures that resigned attitude of “fine, I’ll do it” without any enthusiasm or joy. It’s the opposite of passion or excitement — pure duty with no pleasure attached.
Vivid example: At first, going to the gym every morning felt like a terrible chore that he dreaded the night before, but after a few months it transformed into something he actually looked forward to and genuinely missed on the rare days he had to skip.
Examples from the street:
“I hate doing chores at the weekend.” → I don’t like doing housework on Saturday and Sunday
“Getting him to talk is such a chore.” → It’s so difficult and tiring to make him have a conversation
“Have you done your chores?” → Have you completed your household tasks? (often said to children)
Chore meaning household task — VERY COMMON:
– do the/your chores → complete household tasks
– household chores → tasks around the home (cleaning, cooking, etc.)
– daily/weekly chores → regular tasks done every day or week
– share the chores → divide household tasks between people
– help with the chores → assist with household tasks
Chore meaning tedious/boring task — VERY COMMON:
– be a chore → be tedious or unpleasant to do
– such a chore → very boring or difficult
– feel like a chore → seem tedious rather than enjoyable
– make something a chore → turn something into an unpleasant task
– become a chore → turn from enjoyable to tedious
Example Sentences
1. I spend every Sunday morning doing household chores → I use the first half of every Sunday completing tasks around the home.
2. My kids have to do their chores before they can play video games → My children must finish their tasks around the house before they’re allowed on the console.
3. We share the chores equally — I cook and he cleans → We divide the housework fairly — I prepare the food and he tidies up.
4. Going to the gym has become a chore — I used to enjoy it → Exercising has turned into something tedious — I used to look forward to it.
5. Filling in these forms is such a chore → Completing all this paperwork is so boring and tedious.
6. Don’t make cooking a chore — put on some music and enjoy it → Don’t turn preparing food into something unpleasant — play some tunes and have fun with it.
7. Ironing is my least favourite chore → Pressing clothes is the household task I dislike the most.
8. When exercise feels like a chore, it’s time to try something new → When working out seems tedious rather than fun, you need to change your routine.
9. Could you help with the chores instead of just sitting there? → Could you assist with the housework rather than just doing nothing?
10. Reading shouldn’t be a chore — if you hate a book, put it down → Going through books shouldn’t feel tedious — if you’re not enjoying one, stop reading it.
Learner Examples
1. For some students, homework feels like a chore, but I try to design activities that are actually enjoyable → For certain learners, assignments seem tedious and boring, but I attempt to create tasks that are genuinely fun.
2. Learning vocabulary shouldn’t be a chore — if you study words in context and connect them to your life, it becomes interesting → Picking up new words shouldn’t feel like a tedious task — if you learn them in real situations and link them to your own experiences, it becomes engaging.
✔ Native usage tips
– “Chores” is almost always plural for housework — when talking about household tasks in general, native speakers say “the chores” or “my chores”; the singular “a chore” is usually for the “tedious task” meaning
– “Do your chores” is parenting language — this phrase is strongly associated with parents telling children to complete their household responsibilities; it’s nostalgic for many adults
– “Such a chore” expresses frustration — when something “is such a chore,” you’re complaining that it’s tedious, boring, or unnecessarily difficult; it’s a common way to express mild annoyance
– American vs British usage — “chores” is common in both varieties, but Americans use it more frequently; British people might also say “housework” or “jobs around the house”
– “Feel like a chore” is a warning sign — when something that should be enjoyable (hobbies, relationships, exercise) “feels like a chore,” it means something is wrong; this phrase signals dissatisfaction
– Chores are typically unpaid — “chores” usually refers to domestic tasks you do without payment; paid work isn’t usually called “chores” even if it’s tedious
✔ Similar expressions / words
– Housework → more general term for all domestic tasks; slightly more neutral than “chores”; “I need to do some housework” sounds less negative than “I need to do my chores”
– Task → more neutral and formal; doesn’t carry the “tedious” connotation; “household tasks” sounds more professional than “chores”
– Errand → tasks done outside the home (shopping, post office, bank); “run errands” means go out to complete various tasks; different from “chores” which are typically at home