1
as in laborer
a person who does very hard or dull work
worked like a drudge at a low-paying job that had few benefits
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in drudgery
very hard or unpleasant work
it took hours of pure drudge to sort through the junk in the basement
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to labor
to devote serious and sustained effort
factory workers who must drudge all day at repetitive tasks
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of drudge
Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2025
The corporate laborers of the industrial age were drudges, and might have needed the scaffolding of managerial hierarchies to make widgets in bulk.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025
David Harsanyi, National Review, 8 June 2023
However, Todd Field’s first feature film in 16 years drudges up those exact dark secrets of manipulative conductor Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett).
—Keith Nelson, Men's Health, 10 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for drudge
Noun
Offload drudge work and risky tasks so humans can focus on safer, more creative work.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2025
The corporate laborers of the industrial age were drudges, and might have needed the scaffolding of managerial hierarchies to make widgets in bulk.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025
Verb
Aren’t those who drudge away at them anything but harmless?
—David Harsanyi, National Review, 8 June 2023
However, Todd Field’s first feature film in 16 years drudges up those exact dark secrets of manipulative conductor Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett).
—Keith Nelson, Men's Health, 10 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for drudge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drudge
Noun
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Many were Indigenous seasonal laborers who came from poor, remote mountain villages with low vaccination rates.—
Mary Beth Sheridan,
CNN Money,
17 May 2026
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Officials with the City of McDonough on Friday identified the man as Naquavious Brazil, 22, who worked as a laborer for the county’s DOT.—
Reed Williams,
AJC.com,
16 May 2026
Noun
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Researcher Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic suggests connecting with others as only humans can do, and unlocking your curiosity, while your agent handles the drudgery.—
Nigel Melville,
The Conversation,
6 May 2026
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In 2006, Lamont, fueled by his personal fortune and some savvy political advisers, visited local Democratic party committees and immersed himself in the drudgery of running a statewide campaign.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Kreider, who dealt with injuries last season with the New York Rangers, has labored.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
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When Cale Makar was clearly laboring in the final couple of games of this series, Kulak and Brent Burns were outstanding.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
14 May 2026
Noun
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An afternoon stroll with Oscar (Diego Calva), who begins as Arlo’s social worker and becomes Peter’s love interest, is invitingly honey-colored in the sunlight, while a druggy nightclub hookup devolves into a dreamy blur of body parts.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
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Others are alive with the sound of hammers and saws, as workers frame new construction.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Eco effort The most impressive part of the property is its lush landscaping.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 May 2026
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Fox’s efforts to cater to a digitally savvy cohort to boost the fortunes of its news operations will no doubt be watched by other mainstream TV-news outlets.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
19 May 2026
Verb
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The two finished atop a crowded field that also featured Attorney General Chris Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who both struggled to break through in a GOP contest overshadowed by the feud between the two front-runners.—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
20 May 2026
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Mergers might encourage other states to offer similar programs as a way of funnelling more students into struggling four-year campuses.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
19 May 2026
Noun
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Until then, they’re left with the tedious toil of prepping garden plots.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
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Westerners, Arabs and Indians dominate business and finance, while laborers from poor countries in Asia and Africa toil for long hours in scorching temperatures at oil facilities and construction sites — often with few protections.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Anyone who’s seen enough adaptations knows the difference between one that strives to apprehend the source material and one that feels derived from a Wikipedia summary.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
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Markowicz directs from her original script, which blends drama and dark satire to broach issues of privilege, complex family relationships, inheritance, and how the elite strive to maintain polished appearances in a fast-paced, ever-changing world.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drudge. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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