take a toll — to cause damage, harm, or suffering; to have a negative effect on someone or something over time
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to cause damage, harm, or suffering; to have a negative effect on someone or something over time
Pronunciation (IPA): /teɪk ə toʊl/
Example Sentences
- The pandemic took a significant toll on small businesses worldwide.
- Working three jobs is really taking a toll on my social life - I haven't seen my friends in weeks!
- His daily 4 AM workout routine is taking a toll on his beauty sleep, but his abs are looking fantastic!
take a toll
VERB[/teɪk ə toʊl/]
to cause damage, harm, or suffering; to have a negative effect on someone or something over time
to cause damage, harm, or suffering; to have a negative effect on someone or something over time
Chasing every goal can take a toll on your soul.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word 'toll' originally referred to a fee paid for passage across a bridge or along a road, deriving from Old English and related forms across Germanic languages. Over time, the meaning extended metaphorically from a literal financial charge to represent any price, cost, or damage demanded by circumstances, particularly in expressions describing harmful effects or losses.
Breakdown
take (to carry away, to require) + toll (a fee or charge; by extension, a cost or damage). The phrase combines the verb 'take' with 'toll' to express the concept of something exacting a price or causing harm, as in 'stress takes a toll on health'.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The pandemic took a significant toll on small businesses worldwide.”
“Working three jobs is really taking a toll on my social life - I haven't seen my friends in weeks!”
“His daily 4 AM workout routine is taking a toll on his beauty sleep, but his abs are looking fantastic!”
“Climate change is taking a toll on polar bear populations in the Arctic.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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