Definition of peonnext
as in laborer
a person who does very hard or dull work the company had plenty of low-paying positions for people who were content to be peons all their lives

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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 peon 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for peon
Noun
  • Meanwhile, $12 million will go to a fund supporting out-of-work entertainment industry laborers.
    — Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Without fiefdoms structuring the distribution of land, the division of labor, and the provision of military protection, agents of state coercion were needed to ensure that former serfs would serve as wage laborers.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Prescription drugs filled at a pharmacy represented 18% of a worker’s health care premium in 2021, after factoring in any rebates paid out by manufacturers, according to the consulting and actuarial firm Milliman.
    — Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Face masks were distributed to local kindergartens, and mandatory mask mandates were slapped on workers at the nearby Irkutsk Aluminum Plant.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Peon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peon. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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