lackey

or lac·quey

[ lak-ee ]

/ ˈlæk i /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR lackey ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural lack·eys.

a servile follower; toady.

a footman or liveried manservant.

verb (used with object), lack·eyed, lack·ey·ing.

to attend as a lackey does.

Words nearby lackey

lack, lackadaisical, lackaday, lackawanna, lacker, lackey, lackey moth, lacking, lackland air force base, lackluster, lacklustre

Origin of lackey

1520–30; < Middle French laquais, perhaps < Catalan lacayo, alacayo < ?

OTHER WORDS FROM lackey

un·lack·eyed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples from the Web for lackey

A buck-naked Jamal—don't ask—is dealing with the lackey by beating him in a bathroom.
Generic and Superficial ‘Tyrant’ Amerisplains the Middle East|Andrew Romano|June 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When Wayne returns, the U.S. government sends its lackey Superman to pound some sense into Batman.
The Super-Stuffed Superhero Movie|Chancellor Agard|December 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Last term Netanyahu gave the post to his lackey Yuval Steinitz, who was never heard from again.
Lapid Lost, Obama Distracts|Gershom Gorenberg|March 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Opposition leaders criticized him for being a Kremlin lackey.
Putin’s Biggest Threat: Billionaire Playboy Mikhail Prokhorov|Anna Nemtsova|March 2, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Most important, his people do not see him as a lackey of the United States.
Mubarak Won't Run Again: Who's Next in the Middle East?|Stephen Kinzer|February 1, 2011|DAILY BEAST
There was a touch of the lackey about Purvis, and his voice was humble sometimes to the verge of irritation.
Peter and Jane|S. (Sarah) Macnaughtan
They would have told a lackey to kick this preposterous creation into the horse-pond.
The O'Ruddy|Stephen Crane
He had a score of the virtues of a valet, indeed, and with them the soul of a lackey.
The Stones of Paris in History and Letters, Volume II (of 2)|Benjamin Ellis Martin
The lackey meantime had prepared himself for the affray, and Girard had produced two dueling swords.
Cad Metti, The Female Detective Strategist|Harlan Page Halsey
The light he carried revealed to him standing outside a lackey in a livery of orange and green, trimmed with silver lace.
The Sword of Honor, volumes 1 & 2|Eugne Sue

British Dictionary definitions for lackey

lackey

/ (ˈlækɪ) /

noun

a servile follower; hanger-on

a liveried male servant or valet

a person who is treated like a servant

verb

(when intr, often foll by for) to act as a lackey (to)

Also (rare): lacquey

Word Origin for lackey

C16: via French laquais, from Old French, perhaps from Catalan lacayo, alacayo; perhaps related to alcalde

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

lackey

or lac·quey

noun, plural lack·eys.

verb (used with object), lack·eyed, lack·ey·ing.

Words related to lackey

Words nearby lackey

Origin of lackey

OTHER WORDS FROM lackey

Examples from the Web for lackey

British Dictionary definitions for lackey

noun

verb

Word Origin for lackey