wingman

noun

wing·​man ˈwiŋ-mən 

-ˌman

1

a

: a pilot who flies behind and outside the leader of a flying formation

b

informal : a male friend or partner who accompanies and supports a man in some activity

While guys find large groups of women intimidating, they think just a few together is the most inviting. If you hang out with a couple of friends, a guy would be able to approach you with a couple of his friends (i.e., wingmen), which would take the pressure off.

—Cosmopolitan

2

: winger

Examples of wingman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Now a new crop of startups is betting that the next big dating platform will feel less like a feed and more like a wingman. — Sofia Chierchio, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026

The wingman drone for fighter jets has been unveiled alongside a comprehensive suite of uncrewed aerial systems (UAS). — Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 10 June 2026

In Katherine Center’s new novel, The Shippers, a woman attending her sister’s cruise-ship wedding ropes her childhood bestie into being her wingman. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 10 June 2026

Nick admitted, though, that Kevin may have taken his role as wingman a little too seriously. — Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 8 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for wingman

• dingman