right-hand man

noun

1. an indispensable or invaluable assistant; right hand.

Word History and Origins

Origin of right-hand man¹

First recorded in 1655–65

Idioms and Phrases

Also, right-hand woman. A trusted helper, as in Give it to Jill, she's my right-hand man. Based on the idea that in most people the right hand is the stronger of the two, this idiom today usually disregards gender, as in the example. However, in the the 17th and 18th centuries it also meant a soldier in a post of command on the right side of a cavalry unit, and then always denoted a man. [c. 1800]

Example Sentences

Munger, the son of a billionaire who was the right-hand man of investor Warren Buffett, declined to comment about whether he planned to give additional funds.

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The UK is "out of whack" with other countries, according to Sir Nick Clegg, the former deputy prime minister who later became right-hand man to Zuckerberg.

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Lacking the money to buy even a single portion of fish and chips at a local pub, Francis agrees to be Stanley’s right-hand man.

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A year later, Freeman was promoted to head coach and Bowden became his recruiting director and right-hand man.

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Steve Davis, Musk’s right-hand man at DOGE, shared an eye-popping example of waste from the Education Department.

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