as in labor
very hard or unpleasant work
the donkeywork involved in setting up one's own start-up software firm
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for donkeywork
Noun
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Despite a difficult development market and ongoing construction labor shortage, Boise developers are forging ahead to remake the city.—
Nick Rosenberger,
Idaho Statesman,
26 June 2025 -
But its depiction of the site of the hotel as a liminal space of corruption and menace suggests that all tourist fantasies are based on the exploitation of others’ histories, lands, labors, and bodies.—
Erik Morse,
Vogue,
26 June 2025
Noun
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Separate efforts by the United Nations to distribute limited food have been plagued by armed gangs looting trucks and by crowds of desperate people offloading supplies from convoys.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Chicago Tribune,
28 June 2025
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Botswana is also investing in mitigation efforts by phasing out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and promoting various energy efficiency measures.—
Kyle Roderick,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
Noun
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The tragedy of slavery is also explored here, including an award-winning exhibit called Slavery and Cotton in the Shoals with work by textile artist Valerie S. Goodwin.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
5 July 2025
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Douglass’s decision to speak on July 5, deliberately after Independence Day celebrations, symbolically underscored his argument: America’s celebration of freedom was bitterly ironic and deeply hypocritical in the context of slavery and racial oppression.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
4 July 2025
Noun
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Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda's struggles continue as he gets eliminated once again during Q1 at the Austrian Grand Prix.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 June 2025
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The struggle was so real that Reynolds unveiled a special musical production for McElhenney's birthday devoted to teaching fans the pronunciation of his costar's last name, enlisting the help of some of his famous friends as well as members of the club's hometown.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
28 June 2025
Noun
-
Hours of service limits are meant to reduce driver fatigue.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 July 2025
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Listeriosis symptoms may include fever, muscle aches, nausea, fatigue, vomiting and diarrhea for those with a mild illness.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
3 July 2025
Noun
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Sure, a high-intensity sweat session can make your heart pump harder, your breath quicken, and may even cause a burning-like feeling in your lungs and chest.—
Cindy Kuzma,
SELF,
23 June 2025
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By the end of the night, the whole team was dripping in sweat and covered in blisters, their pantyhose ripped from their high kicks.—
Elise Taylor,
Vogue,
20 June 2025
Noun
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While other editors navigated the daily grind in a visible state of exhaustion, Wintour, with her signature bob, dark sunglasses, and famously enigmatic composure, cultivated an air of mystery and authority that few could emulate.—
Jeetendr Sehdev,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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Olsen talks about how the grind of having to earn a living, the drag of figuring out home care for young kids, has worn female writers down.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
Noun
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More than a decade of physical and mental toil has caught up with me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
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The pictures, which were taken in twenty-six countries, cover an exotic range of human endeavors, including the production of perfume in Réunion, the quelling of the Kuwaiti oil fires, and, most famously, the toils of gold miners in Serra Pelada, Brazil.—
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
31 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Donkeywork.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/donkeywork. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
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