henchman
Americannoun
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henchmen
plural
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an unscrupulous and ruthless subordinate, especially a criminal.
The leader of the gang went everywhere accompanied by his henchmen.
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an unscrupulous supporter or adherent of a political figure or cause, especially one motivated by the hope of personal gain.
Hitler and his henchmen.
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a trusted attendant, supporter, or follower.
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Obsolete. a squire or page.
noun
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a faithful attendant or supporter
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archaic a squire; page
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of henchman
1325–75; Middle English henchman, henshman, henksman, hengestman, Old English hengest stallion (cognate with German Hengst ) + man man
Vocabulary lists containing henchman
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.
See Examples For:
Vincent Walsh steals every scene he’s in as Sweeney’s henchman Eddie Breen, a lethal type with a brogue, slouch cap and his mouth half open most of the time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Nicholas Mongiardo-Cooper’s Beadle Bamford, the judge’s henchman, has a malicious ebullience all his own.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 3, 2026
His henchman Stephen Miller does know how to produce a florid turn of phrase, doesn't he?
From Salon ● Apr. 11, 2025
But one of the film's best and most understated performances comes from Yura Borisov as Igor, a tough but kindly henchman who works for Toros.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2024
“I’m leaving. Your henchman has terrified me completely. I shall never make the mistake of even passing by this vile pigsty.”
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
I was perplexed that Rabbi Levine’s excellent piece left out a critical element: The story’s climax isn’t only the execution of Haman and his family of henchmen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 10, 2026
And it is all being fed by sycophants and henchmen who have created a self-reinforcing feedback loop.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2025
In her texts, she described how she feared one of al-Millah's henchmen, whom she called "Abdulah".
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2025
Gunn has sarcastically tried to make the place look cheery — Luthor’s henchmen are dressed in mismatched Hawaiian shirts — but the sequence might give you the shivers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2025
If you were a young person in the Soviet Union in the 1930s, you were unable to separate your fear of Stalin and his henchmen from your genuine patriotic fervor for your Motherland.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
