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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
  • Her philanthropic activities extended far beyond her own community to include Indigenous inmates, Chinese immigrants, and white laborers, along with countless other Angelenos.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In the previous decades, Japan had brought in many Korean, Chinese, and Taiwanese laborers, often under duress, to work in factories and mines, usually in atrocious conditions.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The program could also be targeted rather than universal — triggered by sector-specific unemployment spikes, income level, or geography, so the money flows first to the workers AI disrupts most.
    — Sarah Cannon, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • At least six families said health workers visited only after a child had died from measles in their community.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Peon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peon. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster