slave 1 of 2

noun

ˈslāv How to pronounce slave (audio)
Definition of slavenext
1
as in servant
a person who is considered the property of another person many American slaves reached freedom in the North through the network known as the Underground Railroad

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in laborer
a person who does very hard or dull work unappreciated office slaves who perform the necessary but tedious task of filing paperwork

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

slave

2 of 2

verb

as in to labor
to devote serious and sustained effort slaving over a hot stove

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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 slave
Noun
The country remains shaped by its historic slave uprising against French colonizers, becoming the world’s first free Black republic in 1804. — Elisa Turner, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026 In some versions, she’s described as a morally deplorable witch taking part in the abuse of runaway slaves who was ultimately burned for her misdeeds and buried near the cemetery. — Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
Verb
Defined by exhaustion from slaving away at the ironing board while confronting the latest family crisis, Angela is quite capable of whipping up baloney sandwiches with mayonnaise for all and functions as a wise-cracking, big-hearted den mother. — Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 4 Aug. 2025 However, the worse the prison’s conditions become — as the workers are forced to slave away on secret Death Star parts with no promise of release — the more Kino is pushed to join Cassian and his brewing prisoner revolt. — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for slave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slave
  1. servant
  2. laborer
  3. labor
  4. bondman
  5. worker
  6. struggle
  7. chattel
  8. strive
Noun
  • There’s pitying chuckles to his childlike dependence on his peculiarly loyal man servant.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Particularly for a character like this, who is literally a servant and has to exist in the hollows created by other people in that world — that’s a very useful tool for me as an actor.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of servant
Noun
  • Federal immigration agents have spent weeks scouring the Central Valley, immigrant rights organizers say, noting warrantless arrests and the targeting of farm laborers on their way to work.
    — Cindy Carcamo, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Though the inside is upscale, eclectic, cozy and polished, anyone is welcome in the space, from blue-collar laborers to lawyers, Blum said.
    — Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of laborer
Verb
  • His parents labored to reclaim local wetlands to grow wheat and soybeans.
    — Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The Virginia Theological Seminary makes annual cash payments to the descendants whose family members labored on its campus during slavery and Jim Crow eras.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of labor
Noun
  • The judge at the time amended his bond to $3 million cash only, meaning he would only be released by providing the full amount and not having the sum guaranteed by a bondsman.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Megan Showers' bond was set at $20,000, but the judge gave her the ability to pay 10% through a bail bondsman, prosecutors said.
    — James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of bondman
Noun
  • An ex-Garden Grove police sergeant kidnapped and assaulted a co-worker, an Orange County prosecutor says.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Xavier Becerra grew up in Sacramento’s Hollywood Park, the son of a union construction worker and parents who grew up in Mexico, packed into a 700-square-foot house with his three sisters.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of worker
Verb
  • But even when Antetokounmpo was on the court in the second half, the Heat struggled.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The high prices are adding to pain for cattle ranchers in western states, who were already struggling with persistent drought.
    — Anna King, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of struggle
Noun
  • Triad is one of the biggest names in chattel mortgages — or a home loan used on a movable abode, where the owner doesn't necessarily own the land underneath.
    — Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Men were masters over their women, their chattel, and their emotions.
    — Rob Wolfe, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026
Definition of chattel
Verb
  • Here’s the feckless poor, here’s the striving poor, here’s the oblivious cheerful poor, here’s the drug addict, here’s the drunk.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026
  • UConn Women’s Basketball is proud to play in our Basketball is for Everyone Pride game and strives for a culture of inclusion and equity.
    — Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of strive

Phrases Containing slave

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slaughters
slave
slaved
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Cite this Entry

“Slave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slave. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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