Dictionary

lackey en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈlæ.ki/
• (Southern-England) audio

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 Arabic الْقَائِد (al-qāʔid). See French laquais.

Meanings

1. A footman, a liveried male servant.
   • St. Martin [of Tours] looks round, first, deliberately;—becomes aware of a tatterdemalion and thirsty-looking soul of a beggar at his chair side, who has managed to get his cup filled somehow, also—by a charitable lacquey. St. Martin turns his back on the Empress, and hobnobs with him! 1884, John Ruskin, “By the Rivers of Waters”, in “Our Fathers Have Told Us.”: Sketches of the History of Christendom for Boys and Girls who have been Held at Its Fonts, part I (The Bible of Amiens), Orpington, Kent: George Allen, →OCLC, pages 30–31:
   • My dearest father,—I say nothing of them,—but I dare to speak of myself,—I can never be a monk,—if that is your object—spurn me,—order your lacqueys to drag me from this carriage,—leave me a beggar in the streets to cry “fire and water,”—but do not make me a monk. 1820, [Charles Robert Maturin], Melmoth the Wanderer: A Tale. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Company, and Hurst, Robinson, and Co., […], →OCLC, page 198:
2. A fawning, servile follower.
   • The latest act in the Madness of King Donald drama playing globally on every channel underlined the increasingly delusional world the anti-hero inhabits, his fantasies fed and indulged by a cast of sycophants, lackeys and straight grifters, all in it for what they can get. 2026 January 24, Michael Pascoe, “America’s mighty economic power has feet of clay”, in Michael West Media, archived from the original on 30 Jan 2026:

Forms

Deriveds

lackey moth · lackeyship · unlackeyed · lackey caterpillar · lackeydom · lackeyism

Synonyms

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

Translations (108)

th สมุน (a fawning, servile follower) · th ขี้ข้า (a fawning, servile follower) · ca lacai (liveried male servant) · de Lakai (a fawning, servile follower) · uk лаку́за (a fawning, servile follower) · be халу́й (a fawning, servile follower) · hu csatlós (a fawning, servile follower) · el λακές (liveried male servant) · nb lakei (liveried male servant) · uk лаки́за (a fawning, servile follower) · hu szolgalélek (a fawning, servile follower) · is höfðingjasleikja (a fawning, servile follower) · nb lakei (a fawning, servile follower) · cmn 走卒 (a fawning, servile follower) · da lakaj (a fawning, servile follower) · hu komornyik (liveried male servant) · ru при́хвостень (a fawning, servile follower) · hi नौकर (liveried male servant) · pt lacaio (a fawning, servile follower) · cmn 狗腿子 (a fawning, servile follower) · th ลูกจ๊อก (a fawning, servile follower) · nl voetvaag (a fawning, servile follower) · ru лаке́й (liveried male servant) · be лаке́й (liveried male servant) · ur خِدْمَت گار (liveried male servant) · ja 従僕 (liveried male servant) · be пры́хвасцень (a fawning, servile follower) · it lacchè (a fawning, servile follower) · ro lacheu (liveried male servant) · sv lakej (liveried male servant) · ur خادِم (liveried male servant) · ko 주구 (a fawning, servile follower) · th ลูกสมุน (a fawning, servile follower) · be лёкай (liveried male servant) · et lakei (liveried male servant) · ar خَادِم (liveried male servant) · bg лаке́й (liveried male servant) · vi đầy tớ (liveried male servant) · fa-ira پادُوْ (liveried male servant) · es lacayo (liveried male servant) · mk потрчко (a fawning, servile follower) · pl lokaj (liveried male servant) · el υπηρέτης (liveried male servant) · ka ლაქია (liveried male servant) · it lecchino (a fawning, servile follower) · th ลูกกะโล่ (a fawning, servile follower) · it leccaculo (a fawning, servile follower) · fr laquais (a fawning, servile follower) · ko 하인 (liveried male servant) · da lakaj (liveried male servant) · th ขี้ข้า (liveried male servant) · fr laquais (liveried male servant) · ga gíománach (liveried male servant) · fa-ira نُوْکَر (liveried male servant) · es lacayo (a fawning, servile follower) · th ลูกไล่ (a fawning, servile follower) · th ลูกกะจ๊อก (a fawning, servile follower) · fi lakeija (liveried male servant) · uk лаке́й (a fawning, servile follower) · sk lokaj (liveried male servant) · ja 走狗 (a fawning, servile follower) · ota چوقهدار (liveried male servant) · tl tuta (a fawning, servile follower) · nl slaafje (a fawning, servile follower) · cs lokaj (liveried male servant) · nl lakei (a fawning, servile follower) · ur نَوکَر (liveried male servant) · eo livreulo (liveried male servant) · uk льо́кай (liveried male servant) · sq lake (liveried male servant) · cmn 走狗 (a fawning, servile follower) · hu lakáj (liveried male servant) · mi tonotono (liveried male servant) · lt liokajus (liveried male servant) · th คนรับใช้ (liveried male servant) · pl sługus (a fawning, servile follower) · th คนใช้ (liveried male servant) · hy սպասավոր (liveried male servant) · it lacchè (liveried male servant) · th ข้ารับใช้ (liveried male servant) · hu lakáj (a fawning, servile follower) · cmn 僕役 /仆役 (liveried male servant) · be лаке́й (a fawning, servile follower) · nl lakei (liveried male servant) · uk при́хвостень (a fawning, servile follower) · ro lacheu (a fawning, servile follower) · ru холу́й (a fawning, servile follower) · uk холу́й (a fawning, servile follower) · sl lakaj (liveried male servant) · sv lakej (a fawning, servile follower) · pt lacaio (liveried male servant) · pl przydupas (a fawning, servile follower) · uk лаке́й (liveried male servant) · sh lakej (liveried male servant) · hu inas (liveried male servant) · cmn 奴才 (a fawning, servile follower) · cmn 奴僕 /奴仆 (liveried male servant) · hu talpnyaló (a fawning, servile follower) · cmn 僕人 /仆人 (liveried male servant) · fi lakeija (a fawning, servile follower) · lv lakijs (liveried male servant) · th ลิ่วล้อ (a fawning, servile follower) · sh лакеј (liveried male servant) · de Lakai (liveried male servant) · tl alipores (a fawning, servile follower) · ko 종 (liveried male servant) · ru лаке́й (a fawning, servile follower) · mk лакеј (liveried male servant)

lackey en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈlæ.ki/
• (Southern-England) audio

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 Arabic الْقَائِد (al-qāʔid). See French laquais.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To attend, wait upon, serve obsequiously.
   • So dear to Heav'n is Saintly chastity, That when a soul is found sincerely so, A thousand liveried Angels lacky her […] 1634 October 9 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), [John Milton], edited by H[enry] Lawes, A Maske Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634: […] [Comus], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for Hvmphrey Robinson, […], published 1637, →OCLC; reprinted as Comus: […] (Dodd, Mead & Company’s Facsimile Reprints of Rare Books; Literature Series; no. I), New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1903, →OCLC:
   • [T]he ebbed man, ne'er loved till ne'er worth love, Comes deared by being lacked. This common body, Like to a vagabond flag upon the stream, Goes to and back, lackeying the varying tide, To rot itself with motion. c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:
2. (intransitive, obsolete) To toady, play the flunky.

Forms