Dictionary

sidekick en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈsaɪdkɪk/
• (US) audio

Etymology

From side + kick, which in the late 19th and early 20th century was a slang term for the front side pocket of a pair of trousers, known as the pocket safest from theft. Thus, by analogy, a "side-kick" was a person's closest companion.

Meanings

1. (informal) An assistant to another person, especially to a superior or more important person.
   • In the abstract, Stuhlbarg’s twinkly-eyed sidekick suggests Joe Pesci in Lethal Weapon 2 by way of late-period Robin Williams with an alien twist, but Stuhlbarg makes a character that easily could have come across as precious into a surprisingly palatable, even charming man. 2012 May 24, Nathan Rabin, “Film: Reviews: Men In Black 3”, in The Onion AV Club:
   • If representation and recruitment is an objective, self-styled mavericks like Kelly and his Queensland sidekick George Christensen have some utility. 2021 February 2, Katharine Murphy, The Guardian:
   • Elon Musk, Mr. Trump’s new sidekick, shared on his social media platform X an NBC News video of Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, who suggested the Gaetz pick was a strategic move to upset Democrats. 2024 November 14, Linda Feldmann, Henry Gass, “Trump’s eye-popping Cabinet picks show his top priority: Loyalty”, in The Christian Science Monitor:
2. (figuratively) In literature, theatre, etc., a good foil of the protagonist, a character who helps emphasize the traits of the main character.
   • So even though he had – no question – the best lines in Friends, he was never what he would have been in an earlier era: the sidekick. 2023 October 29, Zoe Williams, “‘An ironic, self-deprecating metrosexual’: how Matthew Perry captured the spirit of the age”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

Forms

Antonyms

mentor

Synonyms

wingman · acolyte · deuteragonist · pupil

Translations (30)

es achichinque (assistant) · bg подчинен (assistant) · es achichincle (assistant) · fr faire-valoir (assistant) · fi avustaja (assistant) · bg помощник (assistant) · fr acolyte (assistant) · pt parceiro (assistant) · it spalla (assistant) · de Kumpanin (assistant) · fi apuri (assistant) · pl pomagier (assistant) · ru това́рищ (assistant) · io adyunto (assistant) · fi salkunkantaja (assistant) · fi apulainen (assistant) · el βοηθός (assistant) · pt acólito (assistant) · es achichintle (assistant) · ja サイドキック (assistant) · ca comparsa (assistant) · fi oppipoika (assistant) · cmn 助手 (assistant) · de Kumpan (assistant) · fi sälli (assistant) · it assistente (assistant) · ru помо́щник (assistant) · es adlátere (assistant) · ru партнёр (assistant) · pt companheiro (assistant)