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
• laggard
• lingerer
• 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
• idle
• bum
• chill
• rest
• hack (around)
• goof (off)
• kill time
• loaf
• play
• kick back
• relax
• poke
• hang about
• dillydally
• stroll
• hang (around or out)
• footle
• laze
• dawdle
• muck
• loll
• twiddle one's thumbs
• kick around
• monkey
• mess
• estivate
• trifle
• fool
• potter (around)
• fiddle (around)
• swan
• loiter
• hibernate
• lag
• linger
• 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
• dawdling
• playing
• lounging
• loafing
• lolling
• poking
• bumming
• resting
• relaxing
• lazing
• dillydallying
• footling
• strolling
• lazying
• hanging (around or out)
• lingering
• mucking
• hacking (around)
• vegging out
• messing
• goofing (off)
• dallying
• killing time
• kicking back
• hanging about
• dozing
• monkeying
• piddling
• twiddling one's thumbs
• fooling
• kicking around
• ambling
• trifling
• sauntering
• 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

Battle-tested Like their patron Iran, the Houthis have deployed asymmetric warfare for the 21st century by capitalizing on their strengths — primarily drones and missiles. — NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026

Houthi capabilities The Houthis have learned to combine ballistic and cruise missiles with long-range drones to overwhelm Saudi defenses. — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026

Verb

His robust, under-appreciated score is composed with droning synthesizer undercurrents, old-fashioned action adventure fanfares, and intense rapid-fire tracks punctuated by brass exclamations and roaring percussion. — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 27 July 2026

The mics do a good job of cutting out droning background noise. — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 8 July 2026

Verb

The mics do a good job of cutting out droning background noise. — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 8 July 2026

Usually, the town’s namesake island, far down in downstate Illinois, is quiet enough to hear the hum of the barges droning along the Mississippi River. — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026