lackey

1 of 2

noun

lack·​ey ˈla-kē 

plural lackeys

1

a

: footman sense 2, servant

b

: someone who does menial tasks or runs errands for another

2

: a servile follower : toady

lackey

2 of 2

verb

lackeyed; lackeying

intransitive verb

archaic : to serve as a lackey : toady

transitive verb

: to wait upon or serve obsequiously

Synonyms of lackey

Noun

• servant

Examples of lackey in a Sentence

Noun

He was nothing but a spineless lackey of the establishment.

a celebrity surrounded by his lackeys

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

That means, of course, she’s now been phased out of her role as a factory lackey in dystopian near-future Brazil due to her age. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 3 Apr. 2026

Trump wants Americans to believe that his opponents are of this ilk, with his lackeys casting activists as domestic terrorists for merely showing up to protests. — Gustavo Arellano, Houston Chronicle, 25 Mar. 2026

Trump wants Americans to believe that his opponents are of this ilk, with his lackeys casting activists as domestic terrorists for merely showing up to protests. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026

His Republican lackeys, the same ones who natter on about limited government and deregulation and staying out of businesses’ way, will presumably get onboard with this. — Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 25 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle French laquais

First Known Use

Noun

1523, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1568, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for lackey

• bacchae
• jacky
• tacky
• wacky

Kids Definition

lackey

noun

lack·​ey

ˈlak-ē

plural lackeys

1

: footman sense 2

2

: an overly respectful follower : toady