1
as in laborer
a person who does very hard or dull work
worked like a drudge at a low-paying job that had few benefits
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in drudgery
very hard or unpleasant work
it took hours of pure drudge to sort through the junk in the basement
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to labor
to devote serious and sustained effort
factory workers who must drudge all day at repetitive tasks
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of drudge
Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2025
The corporate laborers of the industrial age were drudges, and might have needed the scaffolding of managerial hierarchies to make widgets in bulk.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025
David Harsanyi, National Review, 8 June 2023
However, Todd Field’s first feature film in 16 years drudges up those exact dark secrets of manipulative conductor Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett).
—Keith Nelson, Men's Health, 10 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for drudge
Noun
Offload drudge work and risky tasks so humans can focus on safer, more creative work.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2025
The corporate laborers of the industrial age were drudges, and might have needed the scaffolding of managerial hierarchies to make widgets in bulk.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025
Verb
Aren’t those who drudge away at them anything but harmless?
—David Harsanyi, National Review, 8 June 2023
However, Todd Field’s first feature film in 16 years drudges up those exact dark secrets of manipulative conductor Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett).
—Keith Nelson, Men's Health, 10 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for drudge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drudge
Noun
-
For human crews, this transformation removes them from hazardous sparks and toxic fumes, shifting their roles from manual laborers to supervisors of a faster, tireless robotic workforce.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
15 June 2026
-
Then, in a pre-dawn operation, the laborers draped the scaffolding in tarpaulin, before removing the giant metallic letters.—
Frank Langfitt,
NPR,
13 June 2026
Noun
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Each chapter delves into a different bodily experience that Maglaque herself has lived, from pregnancy to desire to drudgery.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
-
So Mittelman looks forward to the last summer before college, the one time the drudgery of high school won’t loom.—
Shun Graves,
Chicago Tribune,
1 June 2026
Verb
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About 2,700 engineers labored on the project.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
-
Another laboring woman with the same image on her phone.—
Karli Swenson,
The Conversation,
11 June 2026
Noun
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In reality, though, most workers don’t get to retire on their own terms.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
20 June 2026
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Protests, backed by workers unions, farmers and supporters of former President Evo Morales, are demanding Paz resign.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
Noun
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Pan made national headlines during his time in Legislature for leading the state’s efforts to toughen school vaccine requirements.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
17 June 2026
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Eco effort This is a fragile environment—Kerlingarfjöll was designated a Protected Nature Reserve by Umhverfisstofnun (the Environmental Agency of Iceland) in 2020.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Caitlin Clark orchestrates offense Clark struggled to find her shooting touch Tuesday, missing 10 of 15 field goal attempts and seven of eight 3-pointers.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
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Let’s see who thrives and who struggles now that these two have become ones.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
Noun
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Pure white cloth, born in the murderous toil of slavery, formed in debilitating factory conditions, and finished through the agony of Sicilian children, was bleached in more ways than one.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
15 June 2026
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In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, was a change, and the men who came to the scene of daily toil this morning will never return alive.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
10 June 2026
Verb
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There are luxury resorts that strive to feel like homes, and then there are homes that accidentally become luxury resorts.—
Arion McNicoll,
TheWeek,
15 June 2026
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Impersonators try to embody the whole character, while tribute artists strive for other types of authenticity, like voice and dress.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drudge. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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