NAVVY Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

navvy

noun

Definition of navvy

chiefly British

as in laborer

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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 navvy Several thousand navvies worked on the railway, living in makeshift camps, and many died in accidents, or from exposure and disease in the bitterly cold winters. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 3 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for navvy

Noun

The whole system is essentially policed by the Department of Labor to ensure that foreign workers don't undercut domestic laborers.

— Nina Totenberg, NPR, 10 Nov. 2026
Immigrants, especially Chinese laborers who built the transcontinental railway, were mercilessly exploited.

— Terry Hartle, Christian Science Monitor, 9 Nov. 2026

Definition of laborer

Noun

In practical terms, the study suggests a preference for agentic AI to simplify drudge work and logistics, such as narrowing choices or suggesting better options, rather than taking full control of emotionally loaded or high-complexity decisions.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 13 Aug. 2026
Although free labor can help a candidate win, volunteers are also seen as a source of risk, best restricted to such drudge work as phone banking or door knocking.

— Charles Duhigg, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026

Definition of drudge

Noun

Under Mulch Squash bugs, slugs, snails, and various sorts of grubs prefer cozier hiding places like the thick layers of mulch spread throughout your garden.

— Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 6 Nov. 2026
My lunch companion, aka my perpetually starving 16-year-old son, Nicholas, was floored by how quickly our pagers lit up, beckoning us to come grab grub.

— Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of grub

Noun

Hiring a skilled workman for a full year would cost £60, including the merchant’s cut.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026
Gutierrez on Monday in Palm Beach County court pleaded not guilty to charges of operating as an unlicensed money service business, organized scheme to defraud and workman’s compensation fraud, court records show.

— Angie DiMichele, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of workman

Noun

There are thousands of wrestlers across the globe hoping to make a name for themselves and transform themselves from a no-name jobber into a star that is recognized by everyone.

— Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
The installers were jobbers who worked for one of the big-box retailers.

— Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 26 July 2025

Definition of jobber

Noun

What was once a workingman’s district is now River North, a polished landscape of galleries, luxury apartments and expense-account dining.

— David Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
Company founder Leo Fender and his group of California guitar-makers debuted the Telecaster in 1951 as a durable workingman’s guitar.

— Matthew Leimkuehler, Forbes.com, 13 May 2026

Definition of workingman

Browse Nearby Words

navvies

navvy

navy

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Style

“Navvy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/navvy. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of navvy

noun

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