as in humble
showing, expressing, or offered in a spirit of humility or unseemly submissiveness
every command was obeyed in the menial manner of someone who seemed grateful just to be in the presence of a celebrity
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in servant
a person hired to perform household or personal services
immigrants to that country faced fierce prejudice and could expect to find work only as menials
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of menial
Nathan Pugh, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Dec. 2024
After proving his mettle with such menial jobs, Marks told me, he was eventually given a different but no less innocuous assignment: spend time brushing up on the NBA’s collective-bargaining agreement.
—Jordan Sargent, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2025
Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2023
Introducing artificial intelligence into your business can help you to minimize the menial.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 1 June 2022
See All Example Sentences for menial
Adjective
Born into a wealthy family in 1896 in Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture, Yamaguchi joined a society that renounced materialism at a young age, and its teachings included walking door-to-door offering menial labor in exchange for food.
—Nathan Pugh, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Dec. 2024
After proving his mettle with such menial jobs, Marks told me, he was eventually given a different but no less innocuous assignment: spend time brushing up on the NBA’s collective-bargaining agreement.
—Jordan Sargent, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2025
Noun
Despite the national security risk articulated by politicians and federal law enforcement officials, some users see the risk as menial compared to other social media platforms.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2023
Introducing artificial intelligence into your business can help you to minimize the menial.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 1 June 2022
See All Example Sentences for menial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for menial
Adjective
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Still, Hubbard likely didn’t mind, as the humble and grateful fifth-year senior was simply happy his unlikely career would continue.—
Tim Casey,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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On Friday, South Korea’s former President was forced to eat the humble variety after his impeachment over an earlier martial law declaration was unanimously confirmed by the nation’s Constitutional Court.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Son Heung-min has been a tremendous servant to the club, but at 32, his influence appears to be waning.—
Robert Kidd,
Forbes.com,
30 Mar. 2025
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In the background, a servant peels back a curtain to deliver a basket of fruit.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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So Alex dons a uniform, buses tables and engages in servile labor for the first time in her life.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
23 Mar. 2025
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Trump’s servile devotion to Putin becomes the new norm overnight as Republicans cower in support of Trump’s new Putin policy.—
Bob Kustra,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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One of the film’s most tragic figures is Fred’s meek and traumatized young widow (Norah Mwansa), who is treated abominably by Shula’s aunts.—
Justin Chang,
The New Yorker,
7 Mar. 2025
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The series stars Purnell (Yellowjackets, Sweetbitter) as Rhiannon Lewis, a meek newspaper-office receptionist who was mercilessly bullied in high school.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
3 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Menial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/menial. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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