menial

American  

[mee-nee-uhl, meen-yuhl] / ˈmi ni əl, ˈmin yəl /

adjective

1. lowly and sometimes degrading.

   menial work.

   Antonyms:

   dignified

2. servile; submissive.

   menial attitudes.

   Synonyms:

   fawning

   Antonyms:

   proud

3. pertaining to or suitable for domestic servants; humble.

   menial furnishings.

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noun

1. a domestic servant.

   Synonyms:

   lackey, hireling, underling, attendant

2. a servile person.

menial British  

/ ˈmiːnɪəl /

adjective

1. consisting of or occupied with work requiring little skill, esp domestic duties such as cleaning

2. of, involving, or befitting servants

3. servile

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noun

1. a domestic servant

2. a servile person

Related Words

See servile.

Other Word Forms

• menially adverb
• nonmenial adjective
• nonmenially adverb
• unmenial adjective
• unmenially adverb

Etymology

Origin of menial

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English meynyal, from Anglo-French me(i)nial; meiny, -al ¹

Example Sentences

By offloading the menial stuff to an artificial-intelligence, she says she has freed up time she wouldn’t otherwise have, time she now spends taking guitar and singing lessons.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

While robots may be able to take over menial tasks, humans will be needed to supervise and repair complex fleets.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 12, 2026

Edgerton recalls a moment cut from the film, in which the boss orders all the other workers to settle back into their menial tasks.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 5, 2025

He found the most easy, menial tasks so challenging, like making a meal or walking the dog.

From BBC • Jul. 21, 2025

He refused, however, to do the menial jobs required of members to sustain the community.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow