to peg away at it
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To stick at it persistently, in spite of difficulties and discouragement.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to peg away at it” mean?
To stick at it persistently, in spite of difficulties and discouragement.
Is “to peg away at it” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.