drudge 1 of 2

noun

Definition of drudgenext
1
as in laborer
a person who does very hard or dull work worked like a drudge at a low-paying job that had few benefits

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in drudgery
very hard or unpleasant work it took hours of pure drudge to sort through the junk in the basement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

drudge

2 of 2

verb

ˈdrəj How to pronounce drudge (audio)
as in to labor
to devote serious and sustained effort factory workers who must drudge all day at repetitive tasks

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of drudge
Noun
Offload drudge work and risky tasks so humans can focus on safer, more creative work. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2025 The corporate laborers of the industrial age were drudges, and might have needed the scaffolding of managerial hierarchies to make widgets in bulk. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025
Verb
Their previous defeat, a 33-point drudging by the Atlanta Hawks, led to coach Doug Christie chastising his team’s defensive effort after the game. — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 14 Nov. 2025 After months of drudging through renovations, the Tiki Taco team will soon enjoy the (jack)fruits of its labor. — Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 5 Feb. 2024 See All Example Sentences for drudge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drudge
  1. laborer
  2. drudgery
  3. labor
  4. worker
  5. effort
  6. struggle
  7. toil
  8. strive
Noun
  • And the web of contractors, local inspectors, developers, laborers, chipmakers and site managers adds cost, complexity, risk – and delays.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Trump also got into trouble for hiring more than two hundred undocumented Polish laborers to handle the demolition.
    — Kai Bird, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of laborer
Noun
  • Like its name suggests, Don’t Let Disco pieces act as talismans of joy, connection, and emotion against the drudgery of regular life.
    — Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 5 Aug. 2026
  • In Pogacar, we are blessed with one of the most aggressive yellow jerseys in history, responsible for dragging cycling from the tactical drudgery of the 2010s.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 27 July 2026
Definition of drudgery
Verb
  • That left it to mixed, where the PBR teams labored past Chicago’s youngsters in two close mixed matches to win 3-1 and move onto the next round.
    — Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Wrobleski labored his previous two starts, giving up 12 runs and eight homers in 10 1/3 innings.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of labor
Noun
  • The settlement will be paid by Hyundai Mobis, Kia and local staffing and recruitment agencies that helped find and bring the immigrant workers to Georgia on temporary visas.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • And in Pereira, a CNN team on the ground saw rescue workers and volunteers form a human chain to remove debris and help save those trapped from an apartment building.
    — Rocio Munoz, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of worker
Noun
  • Houthi spokesman Nasruddin Amer said on X on Friday that the group will continue to target any Saudi buildups in an effort to lift the kingdom’s blockade on Yemen.
    — Fatma Khaled, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The significant time and effort involved makes most sense when recruiting, hiring, training, and mentoring large numbers for identical (or at least similar) jobs.
    — Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of effort
Verb
  • In this edition of the AJC On Campus Roundup, the number of Georgians struggling to pay them back has skyrocketed.
    — Jason Armesto, AJC.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Some have done so successfully, others have struggled to reach such heights.
    — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of struggle
Noun
  • Innovation has long relied on the integrity of inventors to ensure the authenticity of their creativity and toil.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Outside, a group of tourists paused to watch her toil, then one read the restaurant sign near the door aloud.
    — Natalie B. Compton The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 19 July 2026
Definition of toil
Verb
  • First Tee is a youth development organization that strives to building strength of character in kids using the game of golf.
    — Zach Schenfisch, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The proposal to redevelop Corporate Woods comes at a time when the city strives to transform the area into a more walkable and vibrant space for residents, workers and visitors.
    — Taylor O'Connor August 12, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of strive

Browse Nearby Words

drubs
drudge
drudged
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Drudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drudge. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on drudge

Nglish: Translation of drudge for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All