lackey
/ˈlæki/ (bre, ipa) · [lˈæki] /ˈlæki/ (ame, ipa) · [lˈæki] /ˈla-kē/ (ame, mw)
lackey — noun
- lackeysingular
- lackeysplural
1. a person who carries out boring or unpleasant tasks for someone richer or more p
a person who carries out boring or unpleasant tasks for someone richer or more powerful, often in the hope of winning their approval or gaining some advantage
Sumin worked as the mayor's campaign lackey, running errands and picking up dry cleaning.
lackey + for + [person] — prepositional pattern
Folake refused to be a corporate lackey, even though it cost her the promotion.
corporate lackey — common noun+noun collocation
The wealthy businessman surrounded himself with lackeys who never questioned a single word he said.
At the debate, Hannah called the senator a mere lackey of the oil industry.
Chidi watched his boss's lackeys scramble to agree with every idea, no matter how bad.
- minion
more playful or dismissive; often used in political cartoons
- follower
more neutral; a follower may simply agree, not necessarily curry favour
- toady
emphasises flattery over obedience; suggests the person praises the powerful person excessively
- servant
a legitimate paid role; lacks the negative judgment of 'lackey'
文法句型
lackey + of + [person/group]
lackey + for + [person/group]
用法筆記
This sense is strongly negative — calling someone a lackey accuses them of abandoning their own judgment to please a more powerful person.
常見錯誤
lackey — verb
- lackeypresent simple I / you / we / they
- lackeys3rd person singular
- lackeying-ing form
- lackeyedpast simple
1. to behave with extreme obedience towards someone important, doing whatever they
to behave with extreme obedience towards someone important, doing whatever they want in order to stay in their favour or gain an advantage
Aarav refused to lackey to the regional director just to secure a bigger office.
lackey + to + [person] — intransitive pattern
Several junior ministers were caught lackeying to the prime minister's chief adviser behind closed doors.
caught lackeying — gerund form in passive construction
Lara would lackey to any wealthy guest at the country club, hoping for an invitation.
The newspaper reported that the mayor had been lackeying to property developers for years.
文法句型
lackey + to + [person]
用法筆記
The verb is far less common than the noun. It is almost always followed by 'to' and a person or group. Most modern writers prefer 'toady' or 'grovel' instead.