Word · CEFR C2 · Frequency #19547
menial
仆人；家仆
a domestic servant
- 1.
A servant, especially a domestic servant.
仆人,尤指家仆。
- 2.
A person who has a subservient nature.
具有顺从性格的人。
仆人,尤指家仆。；具有顺从性格的人。；仆人
In use
The wealthy family hired a menial to clean the house and run errands.
After years of service, the old menial was treated with respect by the children.
She worked as a menial in a large hotel, carrying luggage for guests.
menial + noun
“menial”作形容词修饰名词，常指低贱、琐碎的劳动或职位。
She was tired of doing menial tasks.
她厌倦了做卑微的工作。
be menial
谓语结构，描述工作或任务的性质。
The job was menial and underpaid.
这份工作卑微且报酬低。
a menial
作可数名词，指做粗活、杂活的仆人。
He worked as a menial in the kitchen.
他在厨房当仆人。
Common mistakes
He is a menial person.He does menial work.
menial 通常不直接修饰人，而是修饰工作或任务；表示“卑微的人”时应使用 humble 或 lowly。
He works as a servant; he is menial.He works as a servant; he is a menial.
表示“仆人”时 menial 是可数名词，需要加冠词 a；作形容词意为“卑微的”，不可直接指人。
Connections
Collocations
- menial work
- 卑微的工作；杂活
- He was tired of doing menial work for low pay.他厌倦了做低薪的杂活。
- menial tasks
- 卑微的任务；琐碎杂务
- The manager assigned me menial tasks such as filing.经理给我分配了归档之类的琐碎杂务。
- menial jobs
- 低微的工作；佣工性质的职位
- Many university students take menial jobs during summer vacation.许多大学生在暑假做低微的工作。
- menial labor
- 粗重的体力活；低贱的劳动
- The farm relied on menial labor to harvest the crops.农场依靠粗重的体力活来收割庄稼。
Synonyms
- servant
- 仆人；佣人 · 通用词，可指任何受雇做家务或杂事的人；语义最接近 menial，但更常见、语气中性。
Learner notes
Memory Tip
把 menial 拆成 men（人）加 -ial（形容词尾），想象仆人（men）在干卑微琐碎的活，记住『下人做的活』。
Context & Register
语域：formal 常见场景：historical or literary writing、formal discussions of domestic service 该词作名词指仆人时，多用于较正式或文学性语境，常带有轻视或贬义色彩，现代口语中较少见。
Pronunciation & Spelling
与 menial /ˈmiːniəl/ 押韵的有 genial /ˈdʒiːniəl/、venial /ˈviːniəl/。注意 denial /dɪˈnaɪəl/、trial /ˈtraɪəl/、vial /ˈvaɪəl/ 虽以 -ial 结尾，却读 /aɪəl/；social /ˈsoʊʃəl/ 等以 -ial 结尾的常见词读 /ʃəl/，均不押韵。
Learn the forms together
页面下方列出了常见词形变化。学习时注意它们在句子中的语法位置。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, OCTANOVE, WIKTIONARY.