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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to labor
to devote serious and sustained effort
factory workers who must drudge all day at repetitive tasks
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 drudge
Iain Martin, Forbes, 4 Feb. 2025
But for those who experienced the desperate, dismal drudge of Forest’s three seasons in League One, the third tier of English football, from 2005-08 — and visits to clubs including Yeovil, Carlisle, Tranmere and Hartlepool — there has been a long wait for moments like this.
—Paul Taylor, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025
Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 3 Mar. 2023
While the House drudged through a partisan back-and-forth, top Republicans and Democrats in the Senate hatched a deal.
—Andrew Oxford, azcentral, 24 Mar. 2020
See All Example Sentences for drudge
Noun
In other words, exactly the type of drudge work that corporates have outsourced for decades to offshore teams from the likes of Accenture, Cognizant and Infosys.
—Iain Martin, Forbes, 4 Feb. 2025
But for those who experienced the desperate, dismal drudge of Forest’s three seasons in League One, the third tier of English football, from 2005-08 — and visits to clubs including Yeovil, Carlisle, Tranmere and Hartlepool — there has been a long wait for moments like this.
—Paul Taylor, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025
Verb
Firefighters are responding to homes using snowcats and often drudging in by foot with shovels and hoses and digging hydrants out of the snow to extinguish flames, Munsey said.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 3 Mar. 2023
While the House drudged through a partisan back-and-forth, top Republicans and Democrats in the Senate hatched a deal.
—Andrew Oxford, azcentral, 24 Mar. 2020
See All Example Sentences for drudge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drudge
Noun
-
Few accessories are so simple as the beanie, whose provenance can be traced back to a simple woolen cap worn by laborers in the late Medieval period.—
Eric Twardzik,
Robb Report,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Just 36 hours later, the slave laborers and Berger-Moran, newly born, were loaded onto open coal wagons — filthy and open to the skies.—
Lesley Stahl,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
His goal is to automate the drudgery of laboratory research, making experiments faster, more accurate and easier to perform.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Many participants express skepticism about the optimistic view that AI will only eliminate drudgery and create new opportunities.—
Editorial Board,
Washington Post,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When the novel opens in Florence, in 1557, the body of the painter Jacopo da Pontormo lies in the chapel of San Lorenzo—in front of the frescoes he’d labored over for a decade, with a painter’s chisel stuck in his heart.—
Boris Kachka,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Aster didn’t micromanage as Tracy labored over the script and suffered a bout of COVID during lockdown.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Instead, the women and their husbands found out about the data center project from speaking directly to the workers hired to move dirt and dig runoff ditches ahead of construction.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Amazon has often fielded criticism of its warehouse working conditions, and has been cited in the past for exposing workers to ergonomic hazards.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Eco effort To cover all of Inkaterra's eco initiatives would require another article entirely.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Kate Schneider’s hat trick with two goals led a well-balanced effort as Walpole used to down Ursuline 8-4.—
Kristina Banahan,
Boston Herald,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Buehler struggled in Boston, but looked good enough during his brief time with the Phillies to generate interest from the Padres and other teams.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Fefferman questioned why board members and the public have struggled to obtain detailed financial information.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The conceit of narrating a year in one’s life through the toils and sensations of the kitchen is one that many have taken up before.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Later in the season, after the Bridgerton sons playfully throw shaving foam at each other, a maid is shown scrubbing the floor, the furniture, and the walls, their fun and folly now her toil.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This year’s cohort of activists, while quieter than in the past as a result of the ongoing hostilities, is striving to amplify the voices suppressed and introduce emerging artists to a wider audience.—
Tina Ahmadi Krol,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The Bureau strives to complete all 311 requests within five days.—
Tara Molina,
CBS News,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drudge. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
