Sweatshop meaning in English
Learn how to use Sweatshop correctly with Gymglish.
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Definition
a sweatshop: a factory in which employees work long hours in poor conditions for little pay
There are many organizations which fight companies that exploit sweatshop labor. Many companies do it as it is cheap, but the workers work in horrible conditions for little pay.
sweat perspiration, moisture
a shop a store, a supermarket, a place that sells things
Pronunciation examples
UK: Your shoes were made by a 10 year old child in a sweatshop.
US: Sweatshops exploit children and sweet shops are bad for their teeth.
Examples
- "Their facilities there were essentially sweatshops."
- "There's been a media circus surrounding their sweatshops and innumerable counts of worker exploitation."
- "Strategically, I must advise that we pursue a legitimate alternative to sweatshops and slave labor."
Exercise 1
Choose the TRUE statements from the list below based on the dialogue you just heard.
There may be more than one correct answer!
There may be more than one correct answer!
Choose the TRUE statements from the list below based on the dialogue you just heard.
There may be more than one correct answer!
There may be more than one correct answer!
Susie says that Shmike was "guilty" of labor abuses in China, Vietnam and Indonesia in 1999. To be "guilty" of something is to be responsible for it (legally, financially, etc). A criminal is found "guilty" or innocent by a court of law. If Shmike was revealed to be guilty of labor abuses, they committed labor abuses.
Susie says that Shmike's facilities in Asia were essentially "sweatshops". A "sweatshop" is a factory or manufacturing plant in which workers are exploited, abused or underpaid. The term "sweatshop" is unrelated to "sweatshirts", or any type of merchandise.
Susie says that Shmike's products were "dominant", meaning they were successful (even that they dominated the market) during the 1990s. Susie adds that the products were dominant both "domestically", meaning on a national level (or within the U.S.), and "abroad", meaning "overseas" (or outside the U.S.). "Domestic" and "abroad" are synonymous with "national and international" in this context, and "dominant" shares a close meaning with the term "successful".
On the contrary, Susie says that Shmike refused to pay their Asian workers the money they were promised. This isn't an example of "overpaying", which is to pay more than what is expected or appropriate.
Exercise 2
Find the term which Susie uses to describe "a factory that abuses its workers":
Find the term which Susie uses to describe "a factory that abuses its workers": a sweatshop
a sweatshop: Susie mentions that Shmike's facilities are "sweatshops". A "sweatshop" is a factory that abuses its workers, usually by forcing them to work long hours with minimal compensation.
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