DRUDGES Synonyms: 140 Similar and Opposite Words

drudges 1 of 2

noun

plural of drudge

as in laborers

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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as in labors

very hard or unpleasant work it took hours of pure drudge to sort through the junk in the basement

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drudges

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of drudge

as in struggles

to devote serious and sustained effort factory workers who must drudge all day at repetitive tasks

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for drudges

Noun

In the previous decades, Japan had brought in many Korean, Chinese, and Taiwanese laborers, often under duress, to work in factories and mines, usually in atrocious conditions.

— Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Meanwhile, $12 million will go to a fund supporting out-of-work entertainment industry laborers.

— Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of laborers

Noun

In these labors, Carson is akin to two other recent laureates, Jon Fosse and László Krasznahorkai, our foremost writers of holy fools.

— Merve Emre, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026
Teaching and coaching are labors of love passed down from Lee’s father, Robert, who spent his career coaching and teaching students in Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools.

— PJ Green August 27, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of labors

Verb

In bonds, France’s problem is America’s problem A lot of eyes are on the French bond market right now as Paris struggles to deal with its national debt.

— Jim Edwards, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026
Today, Los Angeles struggles as productions flee to places including New Jersey, Georgia, London and Albuquerque, which are taking their turns as urban shape-shifters.

— Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of struggles

Noun

As part of orchestrating this project, Simon was also involved in securing visas for the various international performers, encountering in the process the uneven access to travel for cultural workers across classes, nationalities, and milieus.

— Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
The circumstances and cultural details may vary, but these unequal power dynamics between families and their domestic workers exist everywhere, to different degrees.

— Annika Pham, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of workers

Noun

The gods themselves are also an unnerving presence, omnipresent beings of colossal power who see humans as their playthings and view Ulysses' toils as some twisted spectator sport.

— Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 July 2026
There has to be a chance that Jos Buttler’s toils in Sri Lanka and India represent his last ventures on the international stage, and therefore the end of an era.

— Paul Newman, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026

Definition of toils

Verb

Yet, this tense adventure makes a strong case that bad parents can still teach good lessons, even when a kid strives to live in opposition to their folks.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Katie strives to use catering companies that adhere to the teachings of the Make America Healthy Again movement, one regular guest says, which encourages the consumption of raw milk and the avoidance of seed oils.

— Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of strives

Noun

Aesthetic experiences were here not reserved for museums or the elite, but folded in along with daily drudgeries.

— Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Your inner lover girl is dying for some time in the sun, for a vacation from your usual drudgeries.

— Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Jan. 2026

Definition of drudgeries

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.

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“Drudges.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drudges. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of drudges

noun

verb

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