peon

noun

pe·​on ˈpē-ˌän 

-ən

also pā-ˈōn for sense 2

British also

ˈpyün 

for sense 1

plural peons or peones pā-ˈō-nēz 

1

: any of various workers in India, Sri Lanka, or Malaysia: such as

a

: infantryman

b

: orderly

2

: a member of the landless laboring class in Spanish America

3

plural peons

a

: a person held in compulsory servitude to a master for the working out of an indebtedness

b

: drudge, menial

Synonyms of peon

• laborer
• worker

Examples of peon in a Sentence

“Those rich politicians don't care about peons like us,” she complained.

the company had plenty of low-paying positions for people who were content to be peons all their lives

Recent Examples on the Web

With a net worth of around $1.1 billion at last disclosure in 2019 and over 20 million square feet of Manhattan real estate in his portfolio, most of Roth’s compensation comes from stock options, dividends, and capital gains — all taxed at a different rate than the typical wages us peons earn. —Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 7 May 2026

Soon there was an altercation at the front desk, when a Haitian upbraided the American peons about not getting her free stuff fast enough. —Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 8 Oct. 2025

Not only does the peon and con man Tom end up refashioning himself as the rich and carefree Dickie, but Highsmith’s novel itself was a retelling of Henry James’s The Ambassadors. —Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 19 Apr. 2024

Not afraid but brave, not weak but empowered, not peons but partners. —Ashley Lee, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2024

The powwow features various contests, including powwow singing, dancing, drumming, and peon games, with a total prize money pool of nearly $125,000 for this year’s participants. —Lauren J. Mapp, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2024

The problem is manifested, for instance, in the absurdly long queues for even low-paying government jobs: India Today reported yesterday (June 6) that the government of Uttar Pradesh had received more than 5.5 million applications for the positions of gardeners, watchmen, and office peons. —Niharika Sharma, Quartz, 7 June 2023

Word History

Etymology

(sense 1) borrowed from French pion "(in 17th & 18th-century French India) infantry soldier, domestic servant," going back to Old French peon, pion "foot soldier"; (senses 2-3) borrowed from American Spanish peón "laborer, infantry soldier," going back to Late Latin pedōn-, pedō "person with flat feet, person going on foot" (Medieval Latin, "foot soldier") — more at pawn entry 1

Note: Sense 1 is perhaps influenced in usage by Portuguese peão with a similar range of meaning. The Oxford English Dictionary, third edition, notes an earlier pronunciation /pɪˈuːn/ or /pjuːn/ for sense 1.

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for peon

• adlerian
• caesarian
• cyclopean
• european
• grammarian
• hercynian
• huronian
• jacobean
• maccabean
• manichaean
• manichean
• mullerian

Kids Definition

peon

noun

pe·​on ˈpē-ˌän  -ən 

1

: a poor farm laborer especially in Latin America

2

: a person who does hard or dull work

peonage

ˈpē-ə-nij

noun