Synonyms of hanger-on

hanger-on

noun

ˈhaŋ-ər-ˌȯn 

as in parasite

a person who is supported by or seeks support from another without making an adequate return

almost overnight, the singer was a star, and almost overnight, he was surrounded by hangers-on who wanted something

Synonyms & Similar Words

• parasite
• henchman
• sponge
• freeloader
• sponger
• leech
• dependent
• moocher
• free rider
• bloodsucker
• flunkey
• sycophant
• lackey
• miser
• deadbeat
• idler
• flunkie
• toady
• satellite
• flunky
• stooge
• cheapskate
• yes-man
• skinflint
• piker
• tightwad
• niggard
• scrooge

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• supporter
• benefactor
• philanthropist

Examples of hanger-on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The entire sports industrial complex had descended on the city — executives, athletes, agencies, every form of hanger-on. —Ben Strauss, Washington Post, 25 July 2024

Every other year, artists, collectors, curators and assorted hangers-on from all over fly into the Italian city to see what is widely considered to be the planet's most prestigious exhibition of contemporary art. —The Week Uk, theweek, 2 May 2024

Hamlet’s toadying friends, the hangers-on Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, are Izzard’s own talking hands, popping up to face her like a pair of Muppets. —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2024

Part of the answer has to do with Trump’s craven enablers and hangers-on. —Larry Diamond, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2021