chiefly British
as in laborer
a person who does very hard or dull work I worked for several years as a gofer and general dogsbody for a London publishing house

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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 dogsbody Having progressed from bottle washing and being a general dogsbody to a youth strength and conditioning coach, Bunce served as Southampton’s head of athletic development between 2011 and 2014, working closely with youngsters such as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Luke Shaw. Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 17 Dec. 2024 Mercedes is everybody’s dogsbody, at home and at work. Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2024 From 1938 to 1940 Nick Clifford was on Mount Rushmore, first as dogsbody and wood-chopper, then as labourer and winchman. The Economist, 1 Aug. 2019 Charley, who already has a casual job with Del (Steve Buscemi), a local horse trainer, now becomes his full-time dogsbody, or nagsbody—cleaning the stables, driving the truck, or walking Lean on Pete. Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dogsbody
Noun
  • Vita's Ukrainian mother (my grandmother) survived as an orphan for two years under German occupation and barely evaded being carted off to Germany to work as a forced laborer.
    Sasha Vasilyuk, Time, 8 May 2025
  • But, as Levi history tells it, the wife of a local laborer came to Davis asking for pants that wouldn’t fall apart.
    Catherine Salfino, Sourcing Journal, 8 May 2025
Noun
  • Tia Carrere, who voiced Nani in the original, appears in the new film as the social worker Mrs. Kekoa.
    Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 23 May 2025
  • This creates a closed-loop system where value flows back to both the worker and the business.
    Carlos Netto, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dogsbody.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dogsbody. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

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