Meanings
nounslave-driver (plural slave-drivers)
plural slave-drivers
- An overseer of slaves at work; a person who puts slaves to work.
"That's the rifle I used against the Peruvian slave-drivers three years ago."
1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC - colloquialexcessivefigurativelyusuallyAn employer or supervisor who demands excessive amounts of work from an employee.
He's such a slave-driver! I can't believe he wants us to come in on Saturday.
- broadlycolloquialexcessivefigurativelyhumorousoftensarcasticusuallyAnyone who requests an amount of work from others that is deemed unreasonable.
Mom, I need a break after doing homework! You're nothing but a slave-driver!
Synonyms & antonyms
Similar
Translations
Bulgarian надзирател, експлоататор
- надзирател (nadziratel)overseer of slaves
- експлоататор (eksploatator)employer who demands excessive work
Dutch slavendrijver
- slavendrijveremployer who demands excessive work
Finnish orjapiiskuri, orjapiiskuri
- orjapiiskurioverseer of slaves
- orjapiiskuriemployer who demands excessive work
French esclavagiste, négrier
- esclavagisteoverseer of slaves
- négrieroverseer of slaves
- négrièreoverseer of slaves
- négrieremployer who demands excessive work
- négrièreemployer who demands excessive work
- esclavagisteemployer who demands excessive work
Norwegian Bokmål slaveoppsynsmann, slavedriver
- slaveoppsynsmannoverseer of slaves
- slavedriveremployer who demands excessive work
Polish poganiacz niewolników, poganiaczka niewolników
- poganiacz niewolnikówoverseer of slaves
- poganiaczka niewolnikówoverseer of slaves
- gnębicielemployer who demands excessive work
- gnębicielkaemployer who demands excessive work
Portuguese escravista, negreiro
- escravistaemployer who demands excessive work
- negreiroemployer who demands excessive work
- negreiraemployer who demands excessive work
Spanish esclavista, negrero
- esclavistaoverseer of slaves
- negrerooverseer of slaves
- negreraoverseer of slaves
- negreroemployer who demands excessive work
- negreraemployer who demands excessive work
Swedish slavdrivare, slavdrivare
- slavdrivareoverseer of slaves
- slavdrivareemployer who demands excessive work
Cite this entry
APA
slave-driver. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/slave-driver
MLA
“slave-driver.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/slave-driver. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “slave-driver,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/slave-driver.
Source: slave-driver on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.