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

The only other time Latham sold a copy of the poem was to one of his father’s wingmen from war, Revis Sirmon from Abbeville, Louisiana. —Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Oct. 2025

Her high-spirited wingman, a Bulgarian named Slavko, was drinking beer out of a plastic cup at eleven o’clock in the morning. —Seth Harp, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025

Originally intended to replace the existing F-22, the NGAD plane is planned to have enhanced stealth, weapon-carrying ability, and also a ‘loyal wingman’ drone. —Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2025

And that’s what my wife means to me: having somebody who can be your wingman in every imaginable way, who has your back, is the greatest thing. —Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for wingman

• dingman