slave 1 of 2

noun

ˈslāv How to pronounce slave (audio)
Definition of slavenext
1
as in servant
a person who is considered the property of another person many American slaves reached freedom in the North through the network known as the Underground Railroad

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in laborer
a person who does very hard or dull work unappreciated office slaves who perform the necessary but tedious task of filing paperwork

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

slave

2 of 2

verb

as in to labor
to devote serious and sustained effort slaving over a hot stove

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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 slave
Noun
In the Black Jacobins, CLR James describes the slaves of a plantation sewing mutiny through poison. — Literary Hub, 6 July 2026 Phillis Wheatley was kidnapped from West Africa as a child and brought to Boston aboard a slave ship. — Robin Follman, Oc Register, 4 July 2026
Verb
Defined by exhaustion from slaving away at the ironing board while confronting the latest family crisis, Angela is quite capable of whipping up baloney sandwiches with mayonnaise for all and functions as a wise-cracking, big-hearted den mother. — Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 4 Aug. 2025 However, the worse the prison’s conditions become — as the workers are forced to slave away on secret Death Star parts with no promise of release — the more Kino is pushed to join Cassian and his brewing prisoner revolt. — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for slave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slave
  1. servant
  2. laborer
  3. labor
  4. bondman
  5. worker
  6. struggle
  7. chattel
  8. strive
Noun
  • The film also features Odysseus’ servant Eumaeus (John Leguizamo) and Jon Bernthal as Menelaus, the Greek king of Sparta.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 2026
  • Lawyers are, in his formulation, both loyal servants of their clients and public citizens with special responsibility for the quality of justice.
    — Joseph Andrew, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of servant
Noun
  • In the shrimp ponds, these landless laborers earn only a few dollars a day, with no contracts or protections.
    — Zakir Hossain Chowdhury, The Dial, 7 July 2026
  • Duties while at the firehouse included speaking with laborers and subcontractors, ordering supplies and discussions with other Good Neighbor Investors members, Mora recalled.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of laborer
Verb
  • But others are still at work, laboring under a new collective bargaining agreement with another labor organization, the International Longshoremen’s Association.
    — Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • The infant had been trapped for almost three days; a team of rescuers from Fairfax, Virginia, had been laboring to reach the boy, who was nine months old, for at least six hours.
    — Armando Ledezma, New Yorker, 30 June 2026
Definition of labor
Noun
  • That is the standard set for bringing weapons and cellphones into a secure area, safeguarding department property, monitoring the radio, misusing department letterhead, badges or insignia, secondary employment violations, and recommending bondsmen or attorneys to inmates.
    — Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
  • Kim Kardashian, who has advocated for prison reform, paid the bondsman to have Glossip released, her publicist told The Oklahoman.
    — Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
Definition of bondman
Noun
  • Advocates viewed Cal/OSHA’S recognition of the detainees as workers as a victory that could pave the way for future labor rights fights at other detention centers in the state.
    — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • The women who get promoted aren’t always the hardest workers in the room.
    — Janice Gassam Asare, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of worker
Verb
  • Acuff got off to a much better start after struggling to make shots in his summer league debut on Saturday.
    — Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026
  • While San Francisco’s bullpen is struggling, Rogers is in the midst of another excellent season after signing a three-year, $37 million deal to join the defending American League champions.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 7 July 2026
Definition of struggle
Noun
  • Men were masters over their women, their chattel, and their emotions.
    — Rob Wolfe, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026
  • The law turned human beings into chattel, allowing them to be worked, beaten, sold, raped and killed — and France never formally did away with it.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 May 2026
Definition of chattel
Verb
  • The decision could impact midterm election outcomes, as Republicans strive to defend a thin majority in the Senate.
    — Rebecca Schneid, Time, 8 July 2026
  • The energy, the competitiveness and the daily consistency to strive to be a little bit better each and every day.
    — Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 July 2026
Definition of strive

Phrases Containing slave

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slaughters
slave
slaved
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Cite this Entry

“Slave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slave. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of slave for Spanish Speakers

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