slave driver

American  

noun

1. an overseer of enslaved laborers and enforcer of hierarchy and discipline in the institution of chattel slavery.

2. a hard taskmaster.

   His boss was a slave driver.

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slave-driver British  

noun

1. (esp formerly) a person forcing slaves to work

2. an employer who demands excessively hard work from his employees

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Etymology

Origin of slave driver

An Americanism dating back to 1800–10

Example Sentences

In response, Theresa May, the home secretary at the time, sponsored a bill to prosecute what she called “modern slave drivers.”

From New York Times

He was also a friend and adviser to Donald Trump's favorite president, Andrew Jackson, who was not merely a white supremacist but literally a slave driver.

From Salon

They planned on incorporating the Sephardic Jewish traditions of other community members, like tapping seder-mates with scallions to emulate the lashes from Egyptian slave drivers.

From Los Angeles Times

They were led by a slave driver named Charles Deslondes, and burned down a number of plantation homes as they marched towards the city, picking up more rebels along the way.

From The Guardian

The partnership between the detail-minded Bartholomew, who called himself a “slave driver” in his quest for the right sound, and the more easygoing Domino took time to fully catch on.

From Seattle Times