Synonyms of drone

drone 1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈdrōn 

1

as in slug

a lazy person

those drones just lie around while we do all the work

Synonyms & Similar Words

• slug
• snail
• bum
• loafer
• couch potato
• idler
• slouch
• deadbeat
• sluggard
• do-nothing
• layabout
• lotus-eater
• crawler
• lazybones
• slugabed
• creeper
• delayer
• good-for-nothing
• straggler
• lingerer
• laggard
• loiterer
• saunterer
• shirker
• dawdler
• slowpoke
• putterer
• slacker
• goldbrick
• loller
• clock-watcher
• stick-in-the-mud
• dropout
• ne'er-do-well
• lounger
• malingerer
• dallier
• procrastinator
• quitter

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hummer
• doer
• hustler
• go-ahead
• self-starter
• comer
• powerhouse
• achiever
• live wire
• go-getter
• highflier

2

as in laborer

a person who does very hard or dull work

after lunch my fellow drones and I shuffle back to our cubicles

Synonyms & Similar Words

• laborer
• worker
• slave
• peon
• foot soldier
• grunt
• toiler
• grubber
• plugger
• grub
• drudge
• drudger
• slogger
• dogsbody
• serf
• workhorse

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• shirker
• slug
• idler
• loafer
• slouch
• sluggard
• goldbrick
• lazybones

drone

2 of 4

noun (2)

as in hum

a monotonous sound like that of an insect in motion

heard the drone of an airplane overhead

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hum
• purr
• buzz
• whisper
• rustle
• thrum
• zoom
• whir
• sigh
• chirr
• moan
• whiz
• burr
• churr
• murmur
• babble
• gurgle
• gasp
• hiss
• coo
• susurrus
• susurration
• zip
• suspiration
• zing
• whish

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• roar
• scream
• screech
• shriek
• squall
• yell
• howl
• squeal
• yelp
• bawl

drone

3 of 4

verb (1)

1

as in to hum

to fly, turn, or move rapidly with a fluttering or vibratory sound

the sound of droning bees all around us

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hum
• buzz
• zip
• burr
• whir
• whisper
• zoom
• hiss
• whiz
• bumble
• murmur
• whistle
• sigh
• whish
• thrum
• chirr
• purr
• coo
• churr
• fizz
• wheeze
• rustle
• swish
• whoosh
• curr
• sizzle

2

as in to lazy

to spend time doing nothing

instead of getting a job, he preferred to drone and live off his parents

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lazy
• lounge
• veg out
• chill
• idle
• bum
• rest
• hack (around)
• goof (off)
• kill time
• loaf
• play
• kick back
• stroll
• poke
• relax
• hang about
• dillydally
• hang (around or out)
• muck
• footle
• laze
• dawdle
• loll
• twiddle one's thumbs
• kick around
• mess
• monkey
• estivate
• trifle
• fool
• potter (around)
• fiddle (around)
• swan
• loiter
• hibernate
• linger
• lag
• piddle
• dally
• doze
• putter (around)
• saunter
• amble
• truant
• mosey
• malinger
• furlough
• goldbrick
• tarry

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• slave
• work
• labor
• plow
• grind
• toil
• plug
• hustle
• sweat
• plod
• apply
• buckle (down)
• grub
• drudge
• peg
• hump
• put out
• travail
• exert
• moil

droning

4 of 4

verb (2)

present participle of drone

1

as in humming

to fly, turn, or move rapidly with a fluttering or vibratory sound

the sound of droning bees all around us

Synonyms & Similar Words

• humming
• buzzing
• zipping
• whirring
• whispering
• hissing
• whizzing
• burring
• sighing
• whistling
• murmuring
• zooming
• bumbling
• thrumming
• whishing
• purring
• chirring
• cooing
• churring
• wheezing
• rustling
• swishing
• fizzing
• curring
• whooshing
• sizzling

2

as in idling

to spend time doing nothing

instead of getting a job, he preferred to drone and live off his parents

Synonyms & Similar Words

• idling
• chilling
• lounging
• playing
• dawdling
• loafing
• resting
• lolling
• poking
• bumming
• relaxing
• lazing
• strolling
• dillydallying
• footling
• lingering
• mucking
• lazying
• hanging (around or out)
• messing
• hacking (around)
• vegging out
• goofing (off)
• dallying
• killing time
• kicking back
• hanging about
• dozing
• monkeying
• piddling
• twiddling one's thumbs
• fooling
• kicking around
• ambling
• sauntering
• trifling
• hibernating
• loitering
• estivating
• fiddling (around)
• lagging
• puttering (around)
• pottering (around)
• swanning
• moseying
• tarrying
• malingering
• goldbricking
• truanting
• furloughing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• grinding
• plodding
• laboring
• working
• plowing
• toiling
• sweating
• plugging
• hustling
• slaving
• grubbing
• humping
• pegging
• drudging
• applying
• buckling (down)
• moiling
• travailing
• exerting
• putting out

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of drone

Noun

Last week, Amazon reported disruptions to its Bahrain data center services because of the war, following similar Iranian drone attacks on two of its data centers in the UAE and another in Bahrain earlier this month. —John Liu, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026

This technology has been integrated into complete platforms, most notably the AXS-µ1—a compact drone built around the company’s omnidirectional flight system. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026

Verb

The muses of these two shows felt titillatingly out of reach, an arch if mischievous contrast to the many designers droning backstage about wanting to dress real women (and then giving them completely boring clothes). —Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026

Whereas the film is madcap and edgy—even bratty—the Wuthering Heights album is sullen and stately, built upon strings and droning electronics. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026

Verb

Whereas the film is madcap and edgy—even bratty—the Wuthering Heights album is sullen and stately, built upon strings and droning electronics. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026

As far as Garland’s projects go, Devs comes closest to matching the paranoia and droning anxiety of the multi-hyphenate’s literary work. —Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Jan. 2026