menial

menial

【形容词】

1. (工作或任务) 卑贱的，低级的

2. (人) 卑贱的，低下的

【名词】

1. 低级工作员工，仆人

2. 卑微的人

【词语辨析】

menial与servile和slavish都含有“卑下、低贱”的意思，但它们在用法上有所不同。menial侧重指工作或任务低级、卑贱，与劳动强度或工作技能水平无关；servile强调对他人的屈从和奴颜婢膝；slavish则表示盲从、无条件的服从。例如：
- I don't mind doing a menial job as long as it pays well. (只要工资高，我不介意做一份低级的工作。)
- He was servile and would do anything his boss asked. (他卑躬屈膝，老板叫他干什么他就干什么。)
- She treated her staff in a slavish manner. (她对待员工一味盲从。)

【词汇扩充】

1. menial labor：低级劳动

2. menial tasks：琐碎的任务

3. menial work：卑贱的工作

4. menial worker：低级工作者

【近义词】

servile, lowly, humble, degrading, abject

【反义词】

prestigious, high-ranking, esteemed, esteemed, honorable

【柯林斯词典】

menial (adj.)
1. Menial work is boring, makes you feel tired, and is given a low social status.
2. If you describe work as menial, you think it does not need any skill and is not important.
menial (n.)
A menial is a person who does boring, unskilled work.

【牛津词典】

menial (adj.)
1. (of work) not requiring much skill and lacking prestige.
2. (of a person) lowly and sometimes degrading.
menial (n.)
A person with a menial job.

【用法】

1. Do you enjoy doing menial tasks like cleaning and organizing?
你喜欢做像清洁和整理这样的琐碎任务吗？

2. She was tired of working as a menial in the hotel.
她厌倦了在旅馆做低级工作。

3. Many immigrants start off doing menial jobs before they can find better opportunities.
很多移民开始从事低级工作，直到他们找到更好的机会。

4. The company outsourced menial tasks to reduce costs.
公司外包了一些低技能工作以降低成本。

5. The wealthy family had several menials to take care of their household chores.
这个富裕的家庭有几个佣人来照顾家务。

【例句】

1. He was stuck doing menial jobs for years before finally getting a break. (多年来，他一直被困在做低级工作的境地，直到最后有了机会。)
2. She refused to hire a housekeeper, preferring to do the menial tasks herself. (她拒绝雇佣一个保洁员，更喜欢自己做那些琐碎的事情。)
3. It is important to treat all workers with respect, regardless of whether their jobs are menial or not. (重要的是要尊重所有的工人，无论他们的工作是否低级。)
4. He started from the bottom and worked his way up from menial labor to a management position. (他从基层做起，从低级劳动一步一步晋升到管理职位。)
5. She looked down on him because he had a menial job and lacked formal education. (她看不起他，因为他有一份低级工作并且没有正规教育。)
6. The company hired menial workers to do the repetitive and unskilled tasks. (公司雇佣了低级工人来做重复的、不需要技能的工作。)
7. He resented being treated as a menial by his condescending boss. (他对他那个傲慢的老板把他当成低级员工而感到愤怒。)
8. They believed that menial work was beneath them and only sought prestigious occupations. (他们认为低级工作是他们的下限，只追求有声望的职业。)
9. The menial tasks of washing dishes and cleaning bathrooms were assigned to the new employees. (洗碗和清洁浴室这些低级的任务被分配给了新员工。)
10. She endured years of menial labor before she was able to pursue her true passion. (在追寻自己真正的激情之前，她忍受了多年的低级劳动。)
11. He saw the menial job as a stepping stone to better opportunities in the future. (他把这份低级工作看作未来更好机会的垫脚石。)
12. The company hired menials to perform the necessary but unglamorous tasks. (公司雇佣低级工人来执行必要但不起眼的任务。)
13. She felt trapped in a menial job with no chance of advancement. (她感到自己陷入了没有晋升机会的低级工作中。)
14. He was assigned to menial work as a form of punishment for his behavior. (他被分配到低级工作中，作为对他行为的一种惩罚。)
15. She longed for a better life and was determined to escape her menial existence. (她渴望有一个更好的生活，并决心逃离她卑微的生活。)
16. The menial tasks were delegated to the junior employees. (这些低级的任务被委派给了初级员工。)
17. He took on menial work to support himself while pursuing his artistic dreams. (在追求他的艺术梦想的同时，他从事低级工作来维持生计。)
18. She was tired of the menial tasks and wanted a job that challenged her intellectually. (她厌倦了这些低级的任务，想要一份能在智力上挑战她的工作。)
19. He was grateful for the menial job that provided him with a steady income. (他对这份低级工作感到感激，因为它给了他稳定的收入。)
20. They looked down on him because he had a menial job, but he didn't let it define him. (他们看不起他，因为他有一份低级工作，但他并没有让工作定义自己。)