donkey

noun

ˈdäŋ-kē How to pronounce donkey (audio)
Definition of donkeynext
1
as in mule
a sturdy and patient domestic mammal that is used especially to carry things we put our bags on the donkey and headed down the canyon

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in idiot
a stupid person called him a donkey when he refused to go along with their plans

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 donkey In his incident report, Garner wrote that another officer activated a Taser's electrical arc to try to scare the donkey away, but HeeHaw continued approaching. — Christopher Harris, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026 These days, Bragg lives with Margaret nearby, in a red-cedar cabin on forty acres of pastureland grazed upon by two miniature donkeys. — Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026 In a secluded bubble away from the city, Stephen Miller’s wife treats Washington’s most powerful to custom cakes, live donkeys, and sake-squirting hibachi chefs. — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 8 Oct. 2026 Like so much in our fractious public discourse these days, the Inland Empire’s mysterious wild donkey herds are sparking fierce, sometimes scary debate. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for donkey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for donkey
  1. mule
  2. moron
  3. burro
  4. stupid
  5. ass
  6. jackass
Noun
  • Recognized for its extended vamp (that is, the upper portion of the shoe), this style lives at the intersection of a ballerina, a loafer, and a mule.
    — Bianca Kratky, Glamour, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Vogue’s Favorite Backless Loafers The loafer mule emerged as a breakout style last spring after more than a decade of lying dormant, and appearing on the runways at Gucci, Balenciaga, and Chanel.
    — Christina Holevas, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of mule
Noun
  • The unlikely source is Enervate’s company stooge corporate strategist, Ken Davies (Tim Key), a moron by any measure.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2026
  • God help us all if some idiot, some moron, ever put you in charge.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 18 July 2026
Definition of moron
Noun
  • The big, biting burros are more than a match for a wolf, or two.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Come for the design, stay for the tagliolini cacio e burro (fresh pasta with butter and cheese).
    — Laura Itzkowitz, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of burro
Noun
  • My dad has always said the lottery is a tax on the stupid.
    — Alex Crippen, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Problem is, even people who know baseball don’t know baseball, which makes betting on baseball stupid.
    — Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Definition of stupid
Noun
  • Two crazy ass years have gone by (fast af) and my travels have left me, at 28, with a little more wisdom, more guts and ALOT more shoes!
    — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 12 Oct. 2026
  • That show tackled Bitcoin, viral videos, NSA spying, and the goofy-ass names of 2010s tech startups without being hacky or hammy.
    — Meredith Haggerty, The Verge, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of ass
Noun
  • Still, the show never gets beyond Russ being a showboating jackass and Chad being the low-IQ projection of a showboating jackass.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Eminem In the first film, Joe Flaherty's character famously heckles Happy by repeatedly calling him a jackass right before he's set to putt.
    — Lauren Huff Published, EW.com, 25 July 2025
Definition of jackass

Browse Nearby Words

Don Juans
donkey
donkey's years
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Donkey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/donkey. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on donkey

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about donkey

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