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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 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
-
Like a cat with nine lives, the building has undergone multiple renovations since its humble start as a savonnerie, or soap factory, in 1630.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Apr. 2025
-
What began as a humble mom-and-pop grocer and butcher shop a century ago is now a well-greased sausage factory, selling its products to big-name distributors such as Shamrock Foods, US Foods and Sysco, which get them to major sporting venues such as Ball Arena and Coors Field.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
In 2010, a three-part revival of Upstairs, Downstairs aired on British broadcaster BBC One, with Marsh reprising her role as Rose Buck, who had returned to London to run an agency for domestic servants after a period spent nursing her mother in Suffolk.—
Marc Berman,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Few spoke up for the man viewed by many as a lowborn upstart, but Cromwell, his faithful servant, was the exception, petitioning Henry at great risk to his own reputation.—
Meilan Solly,
Smithsonian Magazine,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
The Old Lady have underperformed for much of the campaign, and their meek exit from the Champions League at the hands of PSV Eindhoven increased the scrutiny on Motta, who’s only been in the job since last June.—
Emmet Gates,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Docile, meek, grateful for him.—
Joyce Carol Oates,
The New Yorker,
16 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Menial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/menial. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share