Definition of peonnext
as in laborer
a person who does very hard or dull work the company had plenty of low-paying positions for people who were content to be peons all their lives

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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 peon Soon there was an altercation at the front desk, when a Haitian upbraided the American peons about not getting her free stuff fast enough. Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 8 Oct. 2025 Not only does the peon and con man Tom end up refashioning himself as the rich and carefree Dickie, but Highsmith’s novel itself was a retelling of Henry James’s The Ambassadors. Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 19 Apr. 2024 Not afraid but brave, not weak but empowered, not peons but partners. Ashley Lee, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2024 The powwow features various contests, including powwow singing, dancing, drumming, and peon games, with a total prize money pool of nearly $125,000 for this year’s participants. Lauren J. Mapp, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for peon
Noun
  • Eliminating the grace period would favor American laborers, the DHS argued.
    Chad de Guzman, Time, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Mansur lives in poverty with his sister, mother, and aunt, Schaesta Ama, and works as a day laborer.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Singapore pays its political leaders high salaries to attract talent and deter graft, but the issue is thorny in the city-state, where the median wage worker made S$5,775 ($736) a month in 2025.
    Reuters, NBC news, 9 Sep. 2026
  • To give workers more, the DSA would basically end capitalism.
    Nolan Finley The Detroit News, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Peon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peon. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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