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
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In fact, in a time when artificial intelligence imperils the livelihoods – and lives – of laborers across economic classes, sumptuous spectacle can be an act of resistance in its own right.—
Eileen G'Sell,
The Conversation,
8 June 2026
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The town attracts large numbers of laborers who work in large gold mines with muddy pools of gold deposits, narrow pits and caves.—
Justin Kabumba,
Los Angeles Times,
7 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
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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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The start didn’t get much easier for Bradley, who labored through a four-inning effort and suffered the loss against the Pirates.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
3 June 2026
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Martinez directs much credit to pitching coach Kyle Snyder and those who labor over pitching charts and the like.—
Tom Layberger,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
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Multiple figures within the sport have alleged, under oath, that members of FIFA accepted bribes in exchange for giving the World Cup to Qatar, a nation that has also been accused of facilitating human rights abuses of the migrant workers who built the country’s stadiums.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
13 June 2026
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Minsch added that Switzerland’s reliance on highly qualified foreign workers, especially in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, technology and healthcare.—
Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
13 June 2026
Noun
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Second District Supervisor Holly Mitchell led the effort for Measure ER along with First District Supervisor Hilda Solis.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
10 June 2026
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The project is being framed as both a preservation effort and a forward-looking investment in the heart of Chinatown.—
Maddie White,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
Verb
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The Primm family, owners of the land that includes three casino resorts and other businesses along the 15 Freeway, announced Tuesday a partnership intended to save the struggling state-line strip and hundreds of jobs.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
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Those home-and-away supporters know how much England struggled with the heat during a camp last summer.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Noun
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Until then, they’re left with the tedious toil of prepping garden plots.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
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Westerners, Arabs and Indians dominate business and finance, while laborers from poor countries in Asia and Africa toil for long hours in scorching temperatures at oil facilities and construction sites — often with few protections.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Admire the artistry that comes with 11 players a side striving to best represent their country.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
8 June 2026
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Unlike impersonators, who pretend to be Elvis and sometimes present a characterized version of the king, tribute artists strive for authenticity.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drudge. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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