slave driver

Học thuật
Thân thiện
Definition

Noun: 1. A supervisor of slaves at work: A person whose job was to oversee and force enslaved people to work, often through harsh methods. 2. A cruel employer who demands excessive work: A person in authority, such as a boss or manager, who makes people work extremely hard under severe pressure and without consideration for their well-being.

Usage
  • The term is most commonly used in its figurative sense to describe a demanding boss or taskmaster.
  • It carries a strong negative connotation, implying cruelty, exploitation, and a lack of humanity.
  • It can be used directly to address someone ("You are such a slave driver!") or to describe them ("She works for a real slave driver").
Examples
  • Historical/Literal Context:
    • The plantation's slave driver was feared by all the workers.
  • Figurative/Modern Context:
    • My new manager is a slave driver; he expects us to work weekends without extra pay.
    • She drove her team like a slave driver to meet the impossible deadline.
Advanced Usage
  • The term is often used hyperbolically in informal contexts to complain about a demanding situation, even if the person in charge is not intentionally cruel.
    • I'm my own worst slave driver when preparing for exams.
Variants and Related Words
  • Slave-driving (adj/n): Used to describe the behavior or methods of a slave driver.
    • He used slave-driving tactics to get the project finished.
  • Taskmaster (n): A person who imposes a harsh or heavy workload. (This is a close synonym but can be slightly less severe in connotation than "slave driver").
  • Overseer (n): A person who supervises others, especially workers. In historical contexts, this was often synonymous with a slave driver.
Synonyms
  • Tyrant
  • Martinet
  • Hard taskmaster
  • Exploiter
Related Idioms
  • To drive someone like a slave: To force someone to work very hard without rest or mercy.
    • The coach drove the team like slaves during pre-season training.
Noun
  1. a supervisor of slaves at work
  2. a cruel employer who demands excessive work from the employees

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