If you refer to someone as a flunky, you disapprove of the fact that they associate themselves with someone who is powerful and carryout small, unimportant jobs for them in the hope of being rewarded.
[disapproval]
flunky in British English
or flunkey (ˈflʌŋkɪ)
nounWord forms: pluralflunkies or flunkeys
1.
a servile or fawning person
2.
a person who performs menial tasks
3. usually derogatory
a manservant in livery
Word origin
C18: of unknown origin
flunky in American English
(ˈflʌŋki)
Word forms: pluralˈflunkeys
nounWord forms: pluralˈflunkies
1.
a liveried manservant
term of contempt
2.
a.
a person who obeys superiors in a servile, cringing way
b. US
a person with very minor or menial tasks
Also sp. ˈflunkeyWord forms: pluralˈflunkeys
Derived forms
flunkyism (ˈflunkyˌism)
noun
Word origin
orig. Scot < ? Fr flanquer, to flank, be at the side of, as to render aid < OFr flanc, flank
Examples of 'flunky' in a sentence
flunky
`Your flunky should have known smoking was hazardous to his health," Joe told Starkey.
Carey, M. V. THE TRAIL OF TERROR (THE THREE INVESTIGATORS MYSTERIES NO 39) (2002)
Synonyms of 'flunky'
manservant, valet, footman, lackey
minion, assistant, tool, slave
More Synonyms of flunky
1 (noun)
Definition
a manservant who wears ceremonial dress
Synonyms
manservant
They were waited on by a manservant.
valet
He stayed on to serve his master as valet and then butler.
footman
lackey
I'm not staying as a paid lackey to act as your yes-man.
2 (noun)
Definition
a person who performs small unimportant tasks for a powerful or important person in the hope of being rewarded
Synonyms
minion
She delegated the job to one of her minions.
assistant
tool
He became the tool of the security services.
slave
cohort mainly US)
menial
hanger-on
five thousand delegates, with 30,000 assorted hangers-on
underling (derogatory)
underlings who do the dirty work
drudge
I was treated like a household drudge.
yes man
toady
Life was too short to become a toady to a megalomaniac.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of drudge
Definition
a person who works hard at an uninteresting task
I was treated like a household drudge.
Synonyms
menial,
worker,
servant,
slave,
toiler,
dogsbody (informal),
plodder,
factotum,
scullion (archaic),
skivvy (British),
maid or man of all work
in the sense of hanger-on
Definition
an unwanted follower, esp. of a rich or famous person
five thousand delegates, with 30,000 assorted hangers-on
Synonyms
parasite,
follower,
cohort (US),
leech,
dependant,
minion,
lackey,
sycophant,
freeloader (slang),
sponger (informal),
ligger (slang),
quandong (Australian, slang)
in the sense of lackey
Definition
a servile follower
I'm not staying as a paid lackey to act as your yes-man.
Synonyms
hanger-on,
fawner,
pawn,
attendant,
tool,
instrument,
parasite,
cohort (US),
valet,
menial,
minion,
footman,
sycophant,
yes-man,
manservant,
toady,
flunky,
brown-noser (taboo, slang),
flatterer,
ass-kisser (US, Canadian, taboo, slang),
varlet (archaic)
Nearby words of
flunky
flummoxed
flunk
flunk out
flunky
flurry
flush
flushed
Synonyms of 'flunky'
flunky
Explore 'flunky' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of menial
Definition
a domestic servant
Synonyms
servant,
domestic,
attendant,
lackey,
labourer,
serf,
underling (derogatory),
drudge,
vassal (archaic),
dogsbody (informal),
flunky,
skivvy (British),
varlet (archaic)
in the sense of toady
Definition
a person who flatters and ingratiates himself or herself in a fawning way
Life was too short to become a toady to a megalomaniac.
Synonyms
sycophant,
creep (slang),
hanger-on,
minion,
flunkey,
parasite,
fawner,
jackal,
spaniel,
lackey,
crawler (slang),
yes man,
brown-noser (taboo, slang),
flatterer,
truckler,
lickspittle,
ass-kisser (US, Canadian, taboo, slang),
apple polisher (US, slang),
groveller,
bootlicker (informal)
in the sense of tool
Definition
a person used to perform dishonourable or unpleasant tasks for another
He became the tool of the security services.
Synonyms
puppet,
creature,
pawn,
dupe,
stooge (slang),
jackal,
minion,
lackey,
flunkey,
hireling,
cat's-paw
in the sense of underling
Definition
a subordinate
underlings who do the dirty work
Synonyms
subordinate,
inferior,
minion,
servant,
slave,
cohort (US),
retainer,
menial,
nonentity,
lackey,
hireling,
flunky,
understrapper
in the sense of valet
Definition
a male servant employed to look after another man
He stayed on to serve his master as valet and then butler.
Synonyms
manservant,
man,
attendant,
gentleman's gentleman
in the sense of yes man
Definition
a person who always agrees with his or her superior in order to gain favour