as in humble
showing, expressing, or offered in a spirit of humility or unseemly submissiveness
every command was obeyed in the menial manner of someone who seemed grateful just to be in the presence of a celebrity
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in servant
a person hired to perform household or personal services
immigrants to that country faced fierce prejudice and could expect to find work only as menials
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of menial
Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2026
Featuring four distinct stories (including Overlook hit MLM), this zany, bloody, wacko tale of inequality is sure to galvanize anyone who has ever felt lost in a sea of menial repetitious tasks.
—William Earl, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2023
An oceanographer served as winemaker, while Mr. Maltese was the group organizer and cellar rat, a wine-industry term for those performing menial but essential tasks like topping off barrels.
—Eric Asimov, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for menial
Adjective
Only after World War II—and over the objections of much of the brass—was the military integrated, and then only after an exhaustive internal investigation disproved racist assumptions that Black troops could only fill menial roles or serve in segregated units.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2026
Featuring four distinct stories (including Overlook hit MLM), this zany, bloody, wacko tale of inequality is sure to galvanize anyone who has ever felt lost in a sea of menial repetitious tasks.
—William Earl, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
Noun
Outside the windowless offices, the anthropocene was over—somehow these hapless menials had missed its bang or its whimper—and the pre-human food chain was busy reasserting itself.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2023
An oceanographer served as winemaker, while Mr. Maltese was the group organizer and cellar rat, a wine-industry term for those performing menial but essential tasks like topping off barrels.
—Eric Asimov, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for menial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for menial
Adjective
-
My occupations have given me a happy, humble, quiet life, but always nagging in the back of my mind has been a case of impostor syndrome.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
Gregory Lorenzi has spent the past 10 years at Brest, where his eye for a bargain helped to catapult the humble Breton club from mid-table mediocrity in Ligue 2 to a third-place finish in Ligue 1 and a fairytale Champions League campaign.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
The items included a double-breasted waistcoat and a black silk neckerchief tied in a bowknot, more indicative of what would be worn by a steward or officer’s servant, as well as a clothes brush.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 May 2026
-
My agenda will raise people’s standard of living and expectations of the public servant.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
That this man’s-man tough guy becomes utterly servile in the presence of a bunch of slack-casual bazillionaires is the cherry on top of the fascist sundae.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
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Julia was the first weekly TV series that starred a Black woman in a role that wasn't servile.—
Starr Rocque,
PEOPLE,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Gone was the meek servant child, replaced by a confident woman who remained composed during aggressive cross-examination.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
In Sylvie’s imagination, Nita becomes Anna, a sultry beauty with a cruel streak who has been dating the meek Christophe (Niney) while secretly engaging in an affair with their married boss, Pierre (Cassel).—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Menial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/menial. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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