slog

/ˈsläg/

origin unknown

verb

  1. to hit hard : beat

  2. to plod (one's way) perseveringly especially against difficulty

  3. to plod heavily : tramp

noun

  1. hard persistent work

  2. a prolonged arduous task or effort

  3. a hard dogged march or journey

the endless enervating slog of war

reform will be a hard political slog

idiom

  1. to fight or compete until one side wins