peasant

noun

peas·​ant ˈpe-zᵊnt 

1

: a member of a European class of persons tilling the soil as small landowners or as laborers

This land was farmed by peasants for centuries.

also : a member of a similar class elsewhere

2

: a usually uneducated person of low social status

They treated us like a bunch of peasants.

Examples of peasant in a Sentence

They treated us like a bunch of peasants.

Recent Examples on the Web

And all the while, there’s always another rousing patriotic song for the peasants to sing. —Will Tizard, Variety, 2 Nov. 2025

Model Alex Consani wore that haute couture look, made up of an ivory silk faille circle cloak with an oversize ruff collar, a black gazar top, a cream peasant blouse, and bloomers, with a black felt and gold lamé headpiece and bright teal silk moiré sandals covered in pearls and studs. —Emma Specter, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2025

The beautiful peasant Zerlina (Jamila Drecker-Waxman) wants to wriggle away from this lecherous nobleman. —Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 23 Oct. 2025

In those intervening 35 years, China had moved 800 million rural peasants — living in extreme poverty on US$2 a day — into city apartments and integrated them into the global economy. —Peter Leyden, Big Think, 7 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English paissaunt, from Anglo-French paisant, pesaunt, from pais, paiis country, from Late Latin pagensis inhabitant of a district, from Latin pagus district; akin to Latin pangere to fix — more at pact

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for peasant

• pheasant
• pleasant
• present
• omnipresent
• unpleasant

Kids Definition

peasant

noun

peas·​ant ˈpez-ᵊnt 

1

: a European small farmer or farm laborer

2

: a member of a similar agricultural class elsewhere