The phrase "make short work of" means to handle something quickly and easily, but there are several antonyms to this phrase. These include dragging it out, prolonging, delaying, stalling, procrastinating and taking one's time. When something is made complicated or convoluted, the opposite of making short work of is to complicate, convolute, or muddle. Another antonym is to struggle, which means to face difficulties and challenges in finishing something. Likewise, making long work of something is also an antonym to "make short work of." These antonyms show that finishing a task quickly and efficiently is not always the best approach, and sometimes, taking time and considering options is the better way to go.