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

Two laborers were able to escape after the blast, according to the Associated Press, which cited unnamed officials.

— Rebecca Schneid, Time, 21 July 2026
Unfortunately, during the early to mid-twentieth century, negative perceptions of immigrant and ethnic laborers led many outsiders to view their neighborhoods as unsafe, unclean, and detrimental to the social fabric of American cities.

— Michelle Oliva-Espinosa, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026

Definition of laborers

Noun

Their heroic labors produced the versions that, copied and recopied on papyrus and later on parchment, arrived at last at a printing press in Florence.

— David Denby, New Yorker, 21 June 2026
Justine Siegemund, a German midwife who learned her practice by studying books, was often asked to consult on complex labors.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 June 2026

Definition of labors

Verb

Once an avid Pilates goer, Beretti struggles to go up the stairs and can no longer run or jump.

— Ella Moore July 23, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
Funding is also a problem, as the severely degraded local health system in eastern Congo, as well as NGOs, struggles to cope as Ebola spreads in remote rural areas.

— Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 23 July 2026

Definition of struggles

Noun

In impoverished Nepal, where a conservative culture leaves openly transgender people with few legal job options, the impact on aid workers’ lives was particularly crushing.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
After 60 years, the resulting dataset, which covers tens of millions of American workers and has allowed researchers and regulators to examine workplace representation over decades, may now be coming to an end.

— Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 23 July 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

Like Lonnie, who strives to be the best golfer in the world, Pelican Hill is widely considered one of the world’s premier luxury resorts.

— Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Hoy said the detention staff consistently strives to exceed the minimum standards given by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.

— Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2026

Definition of strives

Noun

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
For others, the online gaming space – from Wordle and chess to blackjack and poker is a welcome respite from the drudgeries of the day.

— Nish Acharya, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025

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 26 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of drudges

noun

verb

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