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Synonyms

minion

American  
[min-yuhn] / ˈmɪn yən /

noun

  1. a servile follower or subordinate of a person in power.

  2. a favored or highly regarded person.

  3. a minor official.

  4. Printing. a 7-point type.


adjective

  1. dainty; elegant; trim; pretty.

minion British  
/ ˈmɪnjən /

noun

  1. a favourite or dependant, esp a servile or fawning one

  2. a servile agent

    the minister's minions

  3. a size of printer's type, approximately equal to 7 point

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. dainty, pretty, or elegant

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of minion

1490–1500; < Middle French mignon, for Old French mignot dainty < ?

Explanation

Your minions, if you are lucky enough to have any, are those people who are devoted to you and entirely dependent on you. If you borrow money from a bully and don't pay it back, he might send one of his minions after you. A minion is nothing more than a yes-man, a nameless faceless servant. It is a negative term implying that your only importance is from the person who orders you around. Corporate presidents may have minions to do their dirty work such as firing employees who have made a mistake. If a celebrity comes to town, minions will come ahead of time to make sure that everything is to the celebrity's liking.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing minion

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For now, fans will just have to remain hopeful that Guarino Sabaté’s dream of bringing joyous Minion mayhem to the Olympic ice will come true in the end.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2026

Gus, who has been described as an adventurous but shy boy, was last seen wearing a grey hat, light grey long pants, boots and a blue long-sleeve T-shirt featuring a yellow Minion character.

From BBC • Oct. 17, 2025

This pubescent Vance has been adorned with a rainbow propeller hat and a swirly lollipop, morphed into a patriotic Minion from Despicable Me, and rendered as lisping Hans Landa, the Nazi villain from Inglourious Basterds.

From Slate • Mar. 5, 2025

Stuart, the one-eyed Minion, was also there to thrill the crowd.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 24, 2022

He was almost my height, but he was rail thin, and he had his hair spiked up in front, almost like a Soulless Minion of Orthodoxy.

From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram