Definition of LACKEY

lackey

Plural: lackeys

Noun

  • a male servant (especially a footman)
  • a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage
  • A footman, a liveried male servant.
  • A fawning, servile follower.

Verb

Verb Forms: lackeyed, lackeying, lackeys

  • To act in a servile or subservient manner.
  • To attend, wait upon, serve obsequiously.
  • To toady, play the flunky.

Examples

  • He refused to LACKEY to his opponent’s demands for a re-rack of tiles.

Origin / Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French laquais, which is probably (via Old Occitan lacai?) from Spanish lacayo, itself perhaps from Italian lacchè and Greek λακές (lakés), from Turkish ulak. Another possibility is through French, from Catalan alacay, from Arabic الْقَائِد (al-qāʔid). See French laquais.

Synonyms

ass-kisser, crawler, flunkey, flunky, sycophant, toady, acolyte, adjutant, aide, bootlicker, disciple, follower, footman, henchman, hireling, inferior, lackey, lap dog, lickspittle, man Friday, minion, myrmidon, poodle, retainer, right-hand man, right-hand woman, servant, stooge, subordinate, underling, vassal, yes man

Scrabble Score: 15

lackey: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
lackey: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
lackey: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 16

lackey: valid Words With Friends Word