menial 1 of 2

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

menial

2 of 2

noun

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 menial
Adjective
According to many pundits, AI will replace the menial and manual tasks of humans with artificial capabilities rendered by machines (both physical and virtual). Barry Libert, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025 While most of the program’s agents are engrossed in secretive investigative work, even the most menial role is critical — like Peter Sutherland’s. Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2025
Noun
Despite the national security risk articulated by politicians and federal law enforcement officials, some users see the risk as menial compared to other social media platforms. Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2023 Introducing artificial intelligence into your business can help you to minimize the menial. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 1 June 2022 See All Example Sentences for menial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for menial
Adjective
  • This journey from her humble beginnings to icon makes sense for a contemporary audience in terms of the pop stars of today, those iconic people in popular culture.
    Sarah Crompton, Vogue, 16 June 2025
  • Both men – Yousafzai, an education activist born in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, and Ranjit, a farmer of humble origins in a remote area of India – break from the traditions of their cultures by advocating forcefully for their daughters.
    Matthew Carey, Deadline, 15 June 2025
Noun
  • Only one of the assailants, a servant named Hugh Colne, was charged in the case and imprisoned at Newgate in 1342.
    Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 13 June 2025
  • Inside, the mansion’s sprawling basement kitchen, once staffed by dozens of servants, cleverly doubles as the Russells’ New York kitchen.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 10 June 2025
Adjective
  • His servile defense secretary has threatened to deploy the military in other cities.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 June 2025
  • Bahrain is ruled by Sunnis and has a mostly Shiite population permanently restless over its servile condition.
    Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 13 June 2025
Adjective
  • From small and relatively meek beginnings, proboscideans eventually evolved into herbivorous, elephantine giants with a broad array of different tusk arrangements and shapes.
    Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
  • That confidence paid off as Farrow received her first Tony nomination for her role as the initially meek homebody Sharon in the play by Jen Silverman, which ran at the Booth Theatre on Broadway from September through December 2024.
    Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 31 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Menial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/menial. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.

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