Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To carry clumsily or with difficulty; lug.
  • intransitive verb To move slowly or laboriously.
  • noun An arduous journey.
  • noun A clumsy or stupid person.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive, informal To carry, drag, or lug.
  • verb intransitive, informal To go, as on an errand or task.
  • verb intransitive, informal To act in a slovenly, lazy, or sloppy manner.
  • noun informal A long or burdensome journey.
  • noun informal A boring person, a drag.
  • noun informal A sloppy or slovenly person.
  • noun informal A "pull" or influence.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun (Yiddish) an awkward and stupid person
  • verb pull along heavily, like a heavy load against a resistance
  • noun a tedious or difficult journey

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Yiddish shlepn, to drag, pull, from Middle Low German slēpen; see lei- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Yiddish שלעפּן (shlepn, "to drag"); compare German schleppen ("to drag").

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Examples

Comments

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  • "At dawn we schlepped."

    February 14, 2007

  • "The Great Schlep aims to have Jewish grandchildren visit their grandparents in Florida, educate them about Obama, and therefore swing the crucial Florida vote in his favor."

    September 26, 2008

  • Ha, c_b.

    February 12, 2009

  • Our Ernest was eager but inept

    His bride in despair nearly wept.

    That nuptial waltz

    Was inelegant schmaltz;

    He could not dance but he schlepped.

    Find out more about Ernest Bafflewit

    August 18, 2014