lackey

1 of 2

noun

lack·​ey ˈla-kē How to pronounce lackey (audio)
plural lackeys
1
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

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
Long dismissed as a lackey or a laughingstock (thanks to his looks and his limp), the former driver turned factory manager spots an opportunity where others only see catastrophe. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 12 Sep. 2024 His reporting was ridiculed and he was called a government lackey. James Jeffrey, Foreign Affairs, 7 Nov. 2016
Verb
With the world order disrupted, Mario searches for seven stars to defeat villain Smithy and his pointy lackeys. WIRED, 15 Nov. 2023 The trio quickly find themselves in a new power struggle for control of the company against Logan's C-suite lackeys Frank (Peter Friedman), Karl (David Rasche) and Hugo (Fisher Stevens). Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2023 See all Example Sentences for lackey 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lackey.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of lackey was in 1523

Dictionary Entries Near lackey

Cite this Entry

“Lackey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lackey. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

lackey

noun
lack·​ey
ˈlak-ē
plural lackeys
1
2
: an overly respectful follower : toady

More from Merriam-Webster on lackey

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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