schlep
Medium FrequencyInformal, colloquial. Common in spoken English, especially American. Often humorous or emphatic.
Definition
Meaning
To carry or haul something heavy or cumbersome with effort, often implying inconvenience; also, to travel a long, tiresome distance.
A difficult, boring, or inconvenient journey or task; a tedious chore. Can also refer to a person who is unattractive, messy, or socially inept (slang, often derogatory).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Carries a strong connotation of burdensome effort, inconvenience, and a lack of grace or efficiency. As a noun, often refers to the task/journey itself. The slang sense for a person is casual and potentially offensive.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Schlep is Yiddish-derived and common in American English. In British English, it's less common and perceived as an Americanism. British speakers might use 'traipse' for the journey sense, or 'lug'/'cart' for the carrying sense.
Connotations
In the US, it is widely understood in informal contexts, often with a humorous or self-deprecating tone. In the UK, it can sound slightly affected or deliberately informal.
Frequency
High frequency in US informal speech. Low to medium frequency in UK informal speech, used mostly by those familiar with American media/culture.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to schlep (sth) to/from/aroundto schlep sb to/fromwhat a schlep (n.)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Schlep the kids to practice.”
- “I can't believe we have to schlep all the way out there.”
- “It was a real schlep.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rarely used in formal writing. Might appear informally: 'We had to schlep the demo kit to three different offices.'
Academic
Not used.
Everyday
Very common for describing inconvenient chores or journeys: 'I had to schlep to the post office.'
Technical
Not used.
Examples
By Part of Speech
noun
British English
- Getting to the venue from here is a bit of a schlep.
- The whole ordeal was a real schlep.
American English
- The airport is a 45-minute schlep from downtown.
- It's not worth the schlep for just one meeting.
verb
British English
- I had to schlep my suitcase on and off the Tube.
- Don't make me schlep that heavy box up to the attic.
American English
- I schlepped my groceries up five flights of stairs.
- We schlepped the kids to soccer practice all season.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I schlepped my bag to school.
- We schlepped our suitcases through the train station.
- It's a long schlep to the beach.
- She spent the day schlepping her portfolio to various agencies.
- After the schlep across the city, we were exhausted.
- They schlepped the entire sound system to the festival and back, a truly Herculean effort.
- He's a bit of a schlep—always late and looking dishevelled.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a SHEep needing a LEProsy shot – you have to SCHLEP the heavy medical kit across the field to give it.
Conceptual Metaphor
MOVING IS LABOR / AN INCONVENIENT JOURNEY IS A BURDEN
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'шлёпать' (to slap). No direct equivalent; think 'тащить с трудом' (verb) or 'утомительная поездка' (noun).
Common Mistakes
- Using it in formal writing.
- Misspelling as 'shlep' (common but non-standard).
- Incorrect preposition: 'schlep at the store' instead of 'schlep to the store'.
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'schlep' used as a NOUN?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it's informal but not rude or swearing. The slang use for a person can be mildly derogatory.
It comes from Yiddish 'shlepn' (to drag, pull), which itself comes from German 'schleppen'.
It's possible but less common. The word emphasizes inconvenience and effort, so it's most natural for burdensome tasks, even if the object isn't physically heavy.
'Schlep' implies the carrying is laborious, inconvenient, and often clumsy or tiring. 'Carry' is neutral.