DONKEYWORK Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

donkeywork

noun

ˈdäŋ-kē-ˌwərk

Definition of donkeywork

as in labor

very hard or unpleasant work the donkeywork involved in setting up one's own start-up software firm

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for donkeywork

Noun

Robots were already offered up as part of China’s domestic answer to aging, labor shortages, and future care needs.

— Ruby Wang, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026
At the sewing line, a conventional cotton T-shirt requires eight person-minutes of direct labor across its sewing operations, according to Silana co-founder Michael Hofmannrichter.

— Jessica Binns, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of labor

Noun

The $60 million ceiling covers a three-year development effort, but the announcement does not establish a final procurement value.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
Over the past two months, amid efforts to find what could be more than $20 billion to recapitalize insurance funds, Walter has sold his controlling interest in the Lakers and a minority share of Chelsea, the English Premier League club.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of effort

Noun

Instagram direct messages to a University of Miami football player that included rape imagery, violent slavery imagery, three uses of the N-word and two uses of a homophobic slur are under investigation by the Florida Bar.

— David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
Lincoln lost that year, but the country benefited from their arguments over the legality and morality of slavery.

— Editorial Board, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of slavery

Noun

Jurors also heard about Garza’s previous run-ins with law enforcement — and his family’s struggles to get help from the county with his mental health.

— Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
The folk tradition, especially, connected her to international Black freedom movements that emphasized labor conditions as a key part of the struggle.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of struggle

Noun

Indeed, even after modern jeans were invented in the late 19th century, denim continued to be used to make such apparel as work jackets, prison uniforms, naval fatigues, and jumpsuits.

— Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026
But many live with fatigue, weakness, brain fog and other symptoms for months or years before a deficiency is caught.

— Amanda Schupak, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of fatigue

Noun

With Angel playing games, a wig probably would last maybe two or three days, because of sweat, oils and things like that, which doesn’t really work well with the glue.

— Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
Betr is giving you a chance to get in on those games with promo code FOXNEWS, giving you $200 in bonus bets and four sweat-free picks to use today.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of sweat

Noun

Rodney also framed the trend as a backlash against the past decade’s grind and her own generation’s infamous tendency to work themselves to the bone.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Coach Kirby Smart cited his old standby, the grind of the SEC schedule.

— Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of grind

Noun

The couple took pains to preserve historical details like the house's original wooden shutters.

— Sophie Caldwell,Valentina Duarte, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
Nearly every single recipe from the Fizz’s golden age takes pains to specify that it should be made very cold, served without ice, and consumed immediately after delivery, an instruction that may seem pedantic but is nonetheless ubiquitous.

— Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of pains

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.

Browse Nearby Words

donkeys

donkeywork

donkeyworks

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“Donkeywork.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/donkeywork. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of donkeywork

noun

Example Sentences

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