henchman

noun

hench·man ˈhench-mən

plural henchmen

Synonyms of henchman next

: a trusted follower : a right-hand man

: a political follower whose support is chiefly for personal advantage

: a member of a gang

obsolete : a squire or page to a person of high rank

Did you know?

The earliest known examples of henchman show it being used as a term for a squire or a page, but the word may have seen earlier use with the meaning "groom." It first appeared in Middle English and is a combination of Old English hengest ("a male horse") and man. One of the duties of a groom, squire, or page to a person of high rank was tending horses, and such a person was relied upon, which influenced the broader senses of henchman including "right-hand man."

Examples of henchman in a Sentence

a gangster surrounded by his henchmen

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The tornado that destroys DG’s family farm is a mode of inter-dimensional transportation used by the evil witch’s henchmen. —

Emma Stefansky, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2024 As fits his elevated role, Páramo has henchmen to do his bidding, like Fulgor Sedano (Héctor Kotsifakis). —

Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024 Their union, however, results in an unpleasant collision with reality when Vanya’s family’s henchmen come to annul it. —

Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 26 Oct. 2024 The storytelling is entertainingly confident but tonally dissonant, though Baker stirs a host of strong performances for his disparate characters, especially Mikey Madison as the sassy Cinderella of this story and Yura Borisov as an endearing henchman. —

Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 8 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for henchman