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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

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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 And was shot and killed in his OWN pasture for doing what donkeys do. — Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026 The father-daughter duo has set up shop ensconced in the woods, herding donkeys and so far evading the violence closing in on them from the outside. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2026 Animals including other pigs, cats, goats, horses, chickens, and donkeys will be his neighbors. — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026 The story turns Hishem, on a customs officer on the Algerian-Tunisian border, who encounters Tesla, a donkey lost in the desert with headphones over his ears, with a bag of cocaine on his back. — Annika Pham, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for donkey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for donkey
  1. mule
  2. moron
  3. burro
  4. stupid
  5. ass
  6. jackass
Noun
  • The Ambler silhouette, which is inspired by Sorel’s signature Caribou boot, comes to life in the slip-on clog version as a streamlined waterproof mule that blends in Needles’ signature purple with premium leather.
    — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Applied at Cart $80 Buy Now First up is Jammers – Style Crush, which is a unique mashup of a chunky loafer, mule, and fuzzy slipper.
    — Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of mule
Noun
  • God help us all if some idiot, some moron, ever put you in charge.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 18 July 2026
  • Mantzoukas was willing to look like a maniac and a moron in equal measure.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 June 2026
Definition of moron
Noun
  • Come for the design, stay for the tagliolini cacio e burro (fresh pasta with butter and cheese).
    — Laura Itzkowitz, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The statue was modeled after a real burro that lived in the canyon in the early 20th century.
    — Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 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
  • But even the toughest ironworkers, the guys covered with tattoos and scars, the guys who can guzzle a beer and then walk with perfect grace on a five-inch-wide beam fifty floors above the city are knocked on their ass by this.
    — Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Now, there will be plenty of moments this year when Cris talks out of his ass and everyone rushes to social media to call him an idiot.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of ass
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
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Cite this Entry

“Donkey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/donkey. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on donkey

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about donkey

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