Meanings
nounpeasant (plural peasants)
plural peasants
- A member of the lowly social class that toils on the land, constituted by small farmers and tenants, sharecroppers, farmhands and other laborers on the land where they form the main labor force in agriculture and horticulture.
1 more example
The Ambassador warned him of the consequences if his mission to Moscow were a failure, both to Churchill's position at home and to Russia's prospects in the war. He insisted that he should not allow himself to be offended 'by a peasant who didn't know any better'. Churchill listened in silence, then returned to the dacha leaving Clark Kerr outside.
1986, Martin Kitchen, British Policy Towards the Soviet Union during the Second World War, Palgrave Macmillan, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 137
adjectivepeasant (not comparable)
- attributivenot comparableCharacteristic of or relating to a peasant or peasants; unsophisticated.
peasant class
1 more example
2007, Brad Bird, Ratatouille, spoken by Colette Ratatouille? It's a peasant dish. Are you sure you want to serve this to Ego?
- derogatorynot comparableobsoleteLowly, vulgar; reprehensible; dishonest.
Oh what a Rogue and Pesant slave am I?
c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], line 520
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA member of the lowly social class that toils on the land, constituted by small farmers and tenants, sharecroppers, farmhands and other laborers on the land where they form the main labor force in agriculture and horticulture.
nounAn uncouth, crude or ill-bred person.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking culture or refinement
Broader
unpleasant persondisagreeable person
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Late Latinpāgēnsis“inhabitant of a district”
- Old French-enc“member of”
- Latinpāgus“countryside”
- Old Frenchpaïsant
- Anglo-Normanpaisant
- Middle Englishpaissaunt
- Englishpeasant
From Late Middle English paissaunt, from Anglo-Norman paisant, from Old French païsant, païsan (“countryman, peasant”), from païs (“country”), from Latin pāgus (“countryside”) + Old French -enc (“member of”), from Frankish -inc, -ing "-ing"; which was an alteration of earlier Late Latin pāgēnsis (“inhabitant of a district”). Doublet of paisano. Via Latin pāgus cognate with pagan (compare typologically, see there for more).
More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans boer
- boermember of the agriculture low class
Arabic فَلَّاح, فَلَّاحَة
- فَلَّاح (fallāḥ)member of the agriculture low class
- فَلَّاحَة (fallāḥa)member of the agriculture low class
Bengali চাষী
- চাষী (caśi)member of the agriculture low class
Bulgarian се́лянин, се́лянка
- се́лянин (séljanin)member of the agriculture low class
- се́лянка (séljanka)member of the agriculture low class
- се́лянин (séljanin)country person
- се́лянка (séljanka)country person
- селя́к (selják)uncouth, crude, or ill-bred person
Catalan camperol, pagès
- camperolmember of the agriculture low class
- pagèsmember of the agriculture low class
- camperolcountry person
- pagèscountry person
Chinese Cantonese 農夫 /农夫, 農民 /农民
- 農夫 /农夫 (nung⁴ fu¹)member of the agriculture low class
- 農民 /农民 (nung⁴ man⁴)member of the agriculture low class
Chinese Mandarin 農夫 /农夫, 農民 /农民
- 農夫 /农夫 (nóngfū)member of the agriculture low class
- 農民 /农民 (nóngmín)member of the agriculture low class
- 農民 /农民 (nóngmín)country person
Czech rolník, rolnice
- rolníkmember of the agriculture low class
- rolnicemember of the agriculture low class
- sedlákmember of the agriculture low class
- selkamember of the agriculture low class
- sedlačkamember of the agriculture low class
- sedlákcountry person
Danish bonde
- bondemember of the agriculture low class
Dutch boer, landarbeider
- boermember of the agriculture low class
- landarbeidermember of the agriculture low class
- landbouwermember of the agriculture low class
- landmanmember of the agriculture low class
- boercountry person
- plattelandercountry person
- landmancountry person
- boeruncouth, crude, or ill-bred person
- boerenpummeluncouth, crude, or ill-bred person
Esperanto kamparano, kamparano
- kamparanomember of the agriculture low class
- kamparanocountry person
Estonian talupoeg
- talupoegmember of the agriculture low class
Finnish talonpoika, torppari
- talonpoikamember of the agriculture low class
- torpparimember of the agriculture low class
- pienviljelijämember of the agriculture low class
- maalainencountry person
- moukkauncouth, crude, or ill-bred person
- talonpoikastrategy games: worker unit
French paysan, paysanne
- paysanmember of the agriculture low class
- paysannemember of the agriculture low class
- paysancountry person
- paysannecountry person
- rustiquecountry person
- villageoiscountry person
- villageoisecountry person
- rustauduncouth, crude, or ill-bred person
- rustaudeuncouth, crude, or ill-bred person
- paysanuncouth, crude, or ill-bred person
German Landleute, Landvolk
- Landleutemember of the agriculture low class
- Landvolkmember of the agriculture low class
- Landmann. Bauer (armer)member of the agriculture low class
- (arme) Bäuerinmember of the agriculture low class
- (arme) Bauernschaftmember of the agriculture low class
- Bauerntummember of the agriculture low class
- Kleinbauermember of the agriculture low class
- Kleinbäuerinmember of the agriculture low class
- Landmanncountry person
- Landfraucountry person
- Bauercountry person
- Bäuerincountry person
Greek χωρικός, χωρική
- χωρικός (chorikós)member of the agriculture low class
- χωρική (chorikí)member of the agriculture low class
- χωριάτα (choriáta)member of the agriculture low class
- αγρότης (agrótis)country person
- αγροίκος (agroíkos)uncouth, crude, or ill-bred person
Hebrew אִכָּר, חַקְלַאי
- אִכָּר (ikár)member of the agriculture low class
- חַקְלַאי (khaklá'i)member of the agriculture low class
- חַקְלַאיתmember of the agriculture low class
- כַּפְרִי (kafrí)country person
Hindi किसान
- किसान (kisān)member of the agriculture low class
Hungarian gazdálkodó, földműves
- gazdálkodómember of the agriculture low class
- földművesmember of the agriculture low class
- parasztmember of the agriculture low class
- parasztcountry person
- parasztuncouth, crude, or ill-bred person
- tahóuncouth, crude, or ill-bred person
Icelandic bóndi
- bóndimember of the agriculture low class
Indonesian petani
- petanimember of the agriculture low class
Irish tuathánach
- tuathánachcountry person
Italian contadino, contadina
- contadinomember of the agriculture low class
- contadinamember of the agriculture low class
- cafonemember of the agriculture low class
- cafonamember of the agriculture low class
- paesanocountry person
- paesanacountry person
- cafoneuncouth, crude, or ill-bred person
- cafonauncouth, crude, or ill-bred person
Japanese 小作人, 農民
- 小作人 (kosakunin)member of the agriculture low class
- 農民 (nōmin)member of the agriculture low class
- 農夫 (nōfu)member of the agriculture low class
- 小百姓 (kobyakushō)member of the agriculture low class
- 百姓 (hyakushō)member of the agriculture low class
- 田舎者 (inakamono)country person
Korean 농부, 농민
- 농부 (nongbu)member of the agriculture low class
- 농민 (nongmin)member of the agriculture low class
- 농사꾼 (nongsakkun)member of the agriculture low class
Latin rūsticus, agricola
- rūsticusmember of the agriculture low class
- agricolamember of the agriculture low class
- rūsticuscountry person
- agrestiscountry person
- pāgānuscountry person
- vīcānuscountry person
- pāgēnsiscountry person
- agrestisuncouth, crude, or ill-bred person
Latvian zemnieks, zemniece
- zemnieksmember of the agriculture low class
- zemniecemember of the agriculture low class
Lithuanian valstietis, valstietė
- valstietismember of the agriculture low class
- valstietėmember of the agriculture low class
Malay petani
- petanimember of the agriculture low class
Māori kaimahi whenua
- kaimahi whenuamember of the agriculture low class
Norwegian Bokmål bonde
- bondemember of the agriculture low class
Polish chłop, chłopka
- chłopmember of the agriculture low class
- chłopkamember of the agriculture low class
- włościaninmember of the agriculture low class
- włościankamember of the agriculture low class
- rolnikmember of the agriculture low class
- rolniczkamember of the agriculture low class
- wieśniakuncouth, crude, or ill-bred person
Portuguese camponês, camponesa
- camponêsmember of the agriculture low class
- camponesamember of the agriculture low class
- camponêscountry person
- campóniouncouth, crude, or ill-bred person
Romanian țăran, țărancă
- țăranmember of the agriculture low class
- țărancămember of the agriculture low class
- țărancountry person
Russian крестья́нин, крестья́нка
- крестья́нин (krestʹjánin)member of the agriculture low class
- крестья́нка (krestʹjánka)member of the agriculture low class
- селя́нин (seljánin)member of the agriculture low class
- селя́нка (seljánka)member of the agriculture low class
- мужи́к (mužík)member of the agriculture low class
- дехка́нин (dɛxkánin)member of the agriculture low class
- дехка́нка (dɛxkánka)member of the agriculture low class
- крестья́нин (krestʹjánin)country person
- крестья́нка (krestʹjánka)country person
- селя́нин (seljánin)country person
- селя́нка (seljánka)country person
- дереве́нщина (derevénščina)uncouth, crude, or ill-bred person
Scottish Gaelic tuathanach, tuathanach
- tuathanachmember of the agriculture low class
- tuathanachcountry person
Slovak roľník, roľníca
- roľníkmember of the agriculture low class
- roľnícamember of the agriculture low class
- sedliakmember of the agriculture low class
- sedliačkamember of the agriculture low class
- sedliakcountry person
- sedliačkacountry person
- dedinčancountry person
- dedinčankacountry person
- vidiečancountry person
- vidiečankacountry person
- sedliakuncouth, crude, or ill-bred person
- sedliačkauncouth, crude, or ill-bred person
Spanish campesino, guajiro
- campesinomember of the agriculture low class
- guajiromember of the agriculture low class
- guasomember of the agriculture low class
- huasomember of the agriculture low class
- campesinamember of the agriculture low class
- payésmember of the agriculture low class
- campesinocountry person
- guajirocountry person
- guasocountry person
- huasocountry person
- payéscountry person
- pampeanocountry person
Swahili falahi
- falahimember of the agriculture low class
Swedish bonde, lantis
- bondemember of the agriculture low class
- lantiscountry person
Thai ชาวนา, ไพร่
- ชาวนา (chaao-naa)member of the agriculture low class
- ไพร่ (prâi)member of the agriculture low class
Turkish köylü, taşralı
- köylümember of the agriculture low class
- taşralımember of the agriculture low class
- ekincimember of the agriculture low class
- yerlicountry person
- taşralıcountry person
- dışarlıklıcountry person
- köylücountry person
- çemişuncouth, crude, or ill-bred person
- hödükuncouth, crude, or ill-bred person
- hırbouncouth, crude, or ill-bred person
Ukrainian селя́нин, селя́нка
- селя́нин (seljányn)member of the agriculture low class
- селя́нка (seljánka)member of the agriculture low class
- селю́к (seljúk)member of the agriculture low class
- селя́нин (seljányn)country person
- селя́нка (seljánka)country person
- селю́к (seljúk)country person
Urdu کِسان, دَہْقان
- کِسان (kisān)member of the agriculture low class
- دَہْقان (dahqān)member of the agriculture low class
- دِہْقان (dihqān)member of the agriculture low class
- رَعِیَتْ (ra'iyat)member of the agriculture low class
Vietnamese nông dân
- nông dânmember of the agriculture low class
Yiddish פּויער
- פּויער (poyer)member of the agriculture low class
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with peasant
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
peasant. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/peasant
MLA
“peasant.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/peasant. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “peasant,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/peasant.
Source: peasant on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.