coolie; back-breaking labor
Meanings
2 senses · 7 examplesnoun
coolie; indentured or enslaved laborer
derogatoryA historical term referring to unskilled laborers, often from Asia, who were exploited under colonial or semi-colonial systems. The term carries strong negative connotations of oppression and hardship.
In the 19th century, many Chinese coolies were transported overseas to build railroads.
The colonizers' wealth was built on the sweat and blood of countless coolies.
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That period of history is filled with tragic stories of coolies.
noun
back-breaking labor; hard physical toil
informalRefers to the strenuous physical effort itself, not the person. Often used in phrases like '卖苦力' (to sell one's labor) to describe doing hard manual work for a living.
He supports his family by doing hard manual labor on construction sites.
This isn't skilled work; it's purely back-breaking labor.
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After a day of hard toil, he was so tired he couldn't straighten his back.
This money was all earned through hard labor; it wasn't easy.