schlep

English

Etymology

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

Alternative forms

• schlepp
• shlep

Verb

schlep (third-person singular simple present schleps, present participle schlepping, simple past and past participle schlepped)

1. (transitive, informal) To carry, drag, or lug.

   I'm exhausted after schlepping those packages around all day.

2. (intransitive, informal) To go, as on an errand or task.

   I schlepped down to the store for some milk.

3. (intransitive, informal) To act in a slovenly, lazy, or sloppy manner.

   I just schlepped around the house on Sunday.

Translations

To carry or drag

• German: (sich) schleppen (de)

• Yiddish: שלעפּן (yi) (shlepn)

To go, as on an errand or task

To act in a slovenly, lazy, or sloppy manner

Noun

schlep (plural schleps)

1. (informal) A long or burdensome journey.

   Sure you can go across town to get that, but it'd be a schlep.

2. (informal) A boring person, a drag.
3. (informal) A sloppy or slovenly person.
4. (informal) A "pull" or influence.

   He must have had a lot of schlep to get such good seats.

Derived terms

• schlepper
• schleppy