chiefly British
as in laborer
a person who does very hard or dull work I worked for several years as a gofer and general dogsbody for a London publishing house

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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 dogsbody Having progressed from bottle washing and being a general dogsbody to a youth strength and conditioning coach, Bunce served as Southampton’s head of athletic development between 2011 and 2014, working closely with youngsters such as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Luke Shaw. Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 17 Dec. 2024 Mercedes is everybody’s dogsbody, at home and at work. Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2024 From 1938 to 1940 Nick Clifford was on Mount Rushmore, first as dogsbody and wood-chopper, then as labourer and winchman. The Economist, 1 Aug. 2019 Charley, who already has a casual job with Del (Steve Buscemi), a local horse trainer, now becomes his full-time dogsbody, or nagsbody—cleaning the stables, driving the truck, or walking Lean on Pete. Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dogsbody
Noun
  • Authorities had alleged that Haskell had hired four day laborers on Nov. 7, 2023 to dispose of several large trash bags, which one of the laborers said contained body parts.
    Liam Quinn, People.com, 14 July 2025
  • Farmworker advocates said Friday afternoon that one laborer had died from injuries sustained after falling from the roof of a greenhouse at Glass House cannabis operation while trying to escape federal agents.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2025
Noun
  • Instead, the workplace economy must foster a system that shares risk, prioritizes results, and better supports workers through the full journey to economic mobility.
    Jason Wingard, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
  • As the number of raids on workers and families escalates, ICE agents will engage in more warrantless knocks on doors, searches, and arrests.
    Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 9 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dogsbody.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dogsbody. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

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