NAVVY Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

navvy

noun

Definition of navvy

chiefly British

as in laborer

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 navvy Several thousand navvies worked on the railway, living in makeshift camps, and many died in accidents, or from exposure and disease in the bitterly cold winters. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 3 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for navvy

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

Noun

In practical terms, the study suggests a preference for agentic AI to simplify drudge work and logistics, such as narrowing choices or suggesting better options, rather than taking full control of emotionally loaded or high-complexity decisions.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 13 Aug. 2026
Although free labor can help a candidate win, volunteers are also seen as a source of risk, best restricted to such drudge work as phone banking or door knocking.

— Charles Duhigg, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026

Definition of drudge

Noun

Missing a taste of their native grub, the cousins devised an idea for a groundbreaking food truck that would bring Maine lobster across America.

— Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Oct. 2026
Expect art displays from local artists and makers, live music and performances, mouthwatering grub, and a thirst-quenching beer and margarita booth.

— Ashlyn Ware, Midwest Living, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of grub

Noun

Hiring a skilled workman for a full year would cost £60, including the merchant’s cut.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026
Gutierrez on Monday in Palm Beach County court pleaded not guilty to charges of operating as an unlicensed money service business, organized scheme to defraud and workman’s compensation fraud, court records show.

— Angie DiMichele, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of workman

Noun

What was once a workingman’s district is now River North, a polished landscape of galleries, luxury apartments and expense-account dining.

— David Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
Company founder Leo Fender and his group of California guitar-makers debuted the Telecaster in 1951 as a durable workingman’s guitar.

— Matthew Leimkuehler, Forbes.com, 13 May 2026

Definition of workingman

Browse Nearby Words

navvies

navvy

navy

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Navvy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/navvy. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of navvy

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

vocation

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes