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

transitive verb

: to wait upon or serve obsequiously

intransitive verb

archaic : to serve as a lackey : toady

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

Between those movies, mostly offscreen, Vision and Ultron’s turncoat lackey Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) fell in love. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026

For Burr, that his character, in reality, had been replaced by corporate lackeys explains so much of what’s wrong with the world. — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 10 Oct. 2026

These are perfunctory roles by definition, so lackeys of one kind or another are often favored. — Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026

The sculpture included Teddy mounted on a striding horse with two lackeys walking on either side. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 10 July 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