| Toiled |
| Drudged |
| Strained |
| Difficult |
| Struggled |
| Contrived |
| Worked hard |
| Expended effort |
| Broke one's back |
| Unnatural; stiff |
| Requiring effort |
| Worked like a dog |
| Lacking spontaneity |
| Done with difficulty |
| Put one's back into it |
| Hardly natural-sounding |
| Done with great exertion. |