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
  • The South American liberation leader Simón Bolívar emancipated the slave laborers who worked on his family’s estate—unlike George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
    Carolina A. Miranda, The Atlantic, 30 June 2025
  • In Hollywood, officers raided the parking lot of a Home Depot where laborers and food vendors worked.
    Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2025
Noun
  • Unifor had fired back that DHL is not one of the top four express package delivery companies in Canada, and that DHL workers represent fewer than 0.7 percent of all local delivery workers and less than 15 percent of all courier workers in the country.
    Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 27 June 2025
  • Abrego Garcia worked as a construction worker in Maryland before his deportation in March, living with his wife and three children.
    Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dogsbody.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dogsbody. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

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