Phrase guide

draft dodger

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A person who illicitly seeks to avoid compulsory military service (the draft).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Examples

  • During the Vietnam War, thousands of draft dodgers fled to Canada to avoid serving.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: draft evader

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

someone who is drafted and illegally refuses to serve

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: draft evader

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: deserter, defector

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: pròfug — person who illicitly seeks to avoid compulsory military service
  • Catalan: pròfuga — person who illicitly seeks to avoid compulsory military service
  • German: Wehrdienstumgeher — person who illicitly seeks to avoid compulsory military service
  • German: Kriegsdienstumgeher — person who illicitly seeks to avoid compulsory military service
  • German: Drückeberger — person who illicitly seeks to avoid compulsory military service
  • Greek: ανυπότακτος (anypótaktos) — person who illicitly seeks to avoid compulsory military service
  • Italian: imboscato — person who illicitly seeks to avoid compulsory military service
  • Polish: dekownik — person who illicitly seeks to avoid compulsory military service
  • Russian: уклонист (uklonist) — person who illicitly seeks to avoid compulsory military service
  • Spanish: prófugo — person who illicitly seeks to avoid compulsory military service
  • Turkish: asker kaçağı — person who illicitly seeks to avoid compulsory military service
  • Ukrainian: ухиля́нт (uxyljánt) — person who illicitly seeks to avoid compulsory military service