yes-man

American

[yes-man] / ˈyɛsˌmæn /

noun

plural

yes-men

a person who, regardless of actual attitude, always expresses agreement with their supervisor, superior, etc.; sycophant.

yes man British

noun

a servile, submissive, or acquiescent subordinate, assistant, or associate; sycophant

"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 yes-man

First recorded in 1910–15

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.

Rosenior admitted when he was hired that he needed to hit the ground running to silence the critics who claimed that he would be a yes-man for the Chelsea hierarchy.

From Barron's • Jan. 25, 2026

It is a potential pitfall for Rosenior to be wary of given that, as a recruit from Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital's other club Strasbourg, he could easily be labelled a yes-man.

From BBC • Jan. 10, 2026

It appeared that Lurie and Roseman chose a yes-man coach and a placeholder quarterback in preparation for a long, dreary rebuilding cycle.

From New York Times • Dec. 29, 2021

As Screech, Diamond embodied the ultimate yes-man sidekick who executed preppy Zack Morris’ most harebrained ideas.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2021

How many times had I gone there to be his sidekick and his yes-man, to tell him what he wanted to hear?

From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023