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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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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 slave
Noun
The idea of animals as slaves of their instincts or mindless automatons evaporates. — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026 OutKick’s Bobby Burack noted the absurdity of the slave-trade comparison Kaepernick made during an interview with former ESPN analyst Ryan Clark. — Matt Calkins Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 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
  • 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
  • Screen vet Leguizamo most recently played Eumaeus, Odysseus’ faithful servant and friend, in Christopher Nolan and Universal’s box office juggernaut The Odyssey.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of servant
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
Definition of laborer
Verb
  • Democratic politicians, bureaucrats and labor leaders, once rabble-rousers like Bass who nowadays seem to exist mostly to keep their sinecure, have labored mightily to convince unbelieving voters that Bass deserves another shot.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The circumstances of Saint Michael’s help while the pilgrim labored and delivered in the ocean were markedly different from those in the miracle ascribed to the Virgin.
    — Ellen O’Connell Whittet, Literary Hub, 7 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
  • In new measures, the army said most Palestinian workers with permits will not be allowed to enter Israeli West Bank settlements on Sunday and Monday, and crossings into Israel will remain closed until after Israel's elections on Tuesday.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Crump also highlighted that Foster was accused of making a racially offensive remark to a co-worker days before the shooting, according to Mississippi Today.
    — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 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
  • Filmed largely on the doctors’ phones, the film offers an intimate account of the people striving to preserve life amid a devastating humanitarian crisis.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Are these trends in direct conversation with the rise in weight loss medications, as luxury customers strive to show off their new bodies?
    — Rachael Akhidenor, Vogue, 19 Oct. 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 27 Oct. 2026.

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