donkey

noun

ˈdäŋ-kē How to pronounce donkey (audio)
Definition of donkeynext
1
as in mule
a sturdy and patient domestic mammal that is used especially to carry things we put our bags on the donkey and headed down the canyon

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in idiot
a stupid person called him a donkey when he refused to go along with their plans

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 donkey Some relief workers are using donkeys and bulldozers to remove solid waste, according to Louise Wateridge, a communications officer for the UN’s children’s agency in the Middle East and North Africa. — Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 5 July 2026 And that says nothing of its snort-like laughs, which reminded me too much of the huffs and puffs of the ride’s donkeys. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026 Brown and Bongiovi are raising their daughter on their farm in rural Georgia, where the actress also cares for several animals, including sheep, goats, cows and donkeys, as well as her tuxedo cat and her therapy dog Winnie. — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026 The movie is an origin stories on how a donkey, became Donkey. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for donkey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for donkey
  1. mule
  2. moron
  3. burro
  4. stupid
  5. ass
  6. dummy
  7. jackass
Noun
  • Slimmer styles including ballet flats and classic flip-flops work well, in addition to heel styles revealing more of the foot, like a mule, slingback pump or heeled thong sandal.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 15 July 2026
  • There are plenty of mules to covet this season, from Neous’s raffia mule, to Loewe’s Origami style, named so after the way the leather folds.
    — Talia Abbas, Vogue, 10 July 2026
Definition of mule
Noun
  • Mantzoukas was willing to look like a maniac and a moron in equal measure.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 June 2026
  • Lluís then calls Puig Antich a moron.
    — Colm Tóibín, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
Definition of moron
Noun
  • Some common options for hanging pots include succulents like burro's tail or string of pearls, trailing lantana, and trailing verbena.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 July 2026
  • Drive the 14-mile, impossibly scenic Needles Highway and 18-mile Wildlife Loop through grasslands and forest—but be prepared to brake for bison and burros!
    — Robert Annis, Midwest Living, 14 May 2026
Definition of burro
Noun
  • My dad has always said the lottery is a tax on the stupid.
    — Alex Crippen, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Problem is, even people who know baseball don’t know baseball, which makes betting on baseball stupid.
    — Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Definition of stupid
Noun
  • After being a good boy for a few weeks—kissing a lot of ass, his wife was ready to forgive.
    — Liza Lentini, SPIN, 10 July 2026
  • Is that a new character in 'Little House on the Prairie,' but your ass in the White House?
    — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 10 July 2026
Definition of ass
Noun
  • Beating one defender with a dummy, Belghali slalomed infield before beating Alexander Schlager with a high near-post finish, rifled into the Austria net.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 28 June 2026
  • The current dummy, dating back in part to 2001, is constructed from 116 rubber discs connected by steel parts all held together by a frame of wires and supported overhead by a separate metal structure.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 18 June 2026
Definition of dummy
Noun
  • Still, the show never gets beyond Russ being a showboating jackass and Chad being the low-IQ projection of a showboating jackass.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Eminem In the first film, Joe Flaherty's character famously heckles Happy by repeatedly calling him a jackass right before he's set to putt.
    — Lauren Huff Published, EW.com, 25 July 2025
Definition of jackass

Browse Nearby Words

Don Juans
donkey
donkey's years
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Donkey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/donkey. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on donkey

Nglish: Translation of donkey for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about donkey

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All