Word
peasant
Phoneticspeas·ant, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈpɛzənt/
UK/pˈɛzənt/
Definitions
01historical farmer
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a poor person who lives in the country and works on a small farm, especially in the past.
n. a member of a traditional class of farmers, either as smallholders or agricultural labourers, typically associated with feudal or pre-industrial societies.
日本語:農民※
“In the Middle Ages, most peasants spent their entire lives working on the lord's land.”
“The uprising was fueled by the peasants' resentment toward the heavy taxes imposed by the ruling aristocracy during the famine.”
Antonyms
02rude/uneducated person
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Informal · Vulgar
n. an insulting word for someone you think is rude, uneducated, or has bad manners.
n. a derogatory term for an individual perceived as uncouth, uncultured, or lacking in social refinement.
“He acted like a total peasant by shouting at the waiter in the middle of the restaurant.”
“The socialite dismissed the newcomers as mere peasants, mocking their lack of familiarity with high-society etiquette.”
Teaching tip
This sense is highly offensive and elitist; it is used to look down on others based on their perceived class or education.
Synonyms
03simple or traditional style
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. describing a style of clothing or food that is simple and traditional, like what farmers used to wear or eat.
adj. relating to or characteristic of the traditional clothing, food, or customs of agricultural labourers.
“She wore a white peasant blouse with colorful embroidery on the sleeves.”
“The restaurant specialized in rustic peasant dishes, serving hearty stews and thick crusty bread in a communal setting.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “peasant” in context.
Verb
01. exploit the peasants
“The ruling elite continued to exploit the peasants by demanding a large portion of their harvest.”
verb + noun
02. organize the peasants
“Activists worked tirelessly to organize the peasants into a unified political force.”
verb + noun
Adjective
03. illiterate peasant
“Historical records often overlook the perspectives of the illiterate peasants who lived through the revolution.”
adj + noun
04. landless peasant
“The landless peasants were forced to migrate to the cities in search of work.”
adj + noun
Noun
05. peasant revolt
“High taxes and food shortages triggered a violent peasant revolt across the countryside.”
noun + noun
06. peasant uprising
“The government was eventually toppled by a massive peasant uprising in the northern provinces.”
noun + noun
07. plight of the peasants
“The documentary highlights the desperate plight of the peasants struggling under the feudal system.”
noun + of + noun
Real-World Examples
“Derbhle Crotty reads the Brooklyn author’s 2003 essay on Augusta Gregory, the Irish playwright and folk historian who famously observed how ownership of a toothbrush separated the gentry from the peasant classes.” “That, “of course, opened the door to Rasputin ,” the Siberian peasant and faith healer widely credited with cementing the family’s downfall, Rappaport tells Smithsonian .” Etymology
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/peasant
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0