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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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
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
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While the independent committee supporting Coyne is backed by Local 89, a laborers union, Crosby has been endorsed by the city’s largest labor union — the Municipal Employees Association — and the region’s largest labor organization, the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
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Only a few years ago, Black farm workers in the Delta settled lawsuits over claims white laborers from South Africa were paid more for the same work.—
Drew Hawkins,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This cost is nominally shared between employers and employees, but workers bear the real burden through both paycheck deductions and forgone wages.—
Jordan Bruneau,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
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Research published last year on Japanese nursing homes found that robot adoption reduced worker quit rates and was associated with better care quality.—
Catherine Thorbecke,
Twin Cities,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dogsbody.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dogsbody. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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