henchman

noun

hench·​man ˈhench-mən How to pronounce henchman (audio)
plural henchmen
1
a
: a trusted follower : a right-hand man
b
: a political follower whose support is chiefly for personal advantage
c
: a member of a gang
2
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 Sparkle Theater, in which the entire game is set, has been invaded by new villain Grape and henchman, the Sour Bunch. USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024 Arrest Hitler and his henchmen, rule for a few years, and then try again. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 To make matters even worse, after all the work Orion had performed for King O, his royal heinous had his henchmen pluck out Orion’s eyes and then plunked him down on a remote beach on the other side of the island. Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 25 Feb. 2024 So Cash sets out to do some crimes, in the company of Big Cat’s henchmen who loathe him. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 20 Feb. 2024 The character also seems to have an aversion to anyone over 40 years old, including his No. 1 henchman and problem-solver Wallace Westwyld, played by Jeremy Irons, who is a geriatric man nearly 30 years his senior and the prime recipient of his aggression. Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 12 Jan. 2024 Of course, the henchmen aren’t stupid enough to simply report a round number of 85.0 percent turnout. Brian Klaas, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2024 They’re immediately hunted down by a pack of monk-like henchmen who tie the girl up and try to sacrifice her to one of the forest’s hemoglobin-drinking monsters. Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024 Evil Russian Kenneth Branagh and his henchmen show up and there’s a car chase. Nate Jones, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'henchman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English henshman, hengestman groom, from hengest stallion (from Old English) + man; akin to Old High German hengist gelding

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of henchman was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Henchman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/henchman. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

henchman

noun
hench·​man ˈhench-mən How to pronounce henchman (audio)
: a trusted follower or supporter who performs unpleasant, wrong, or illegal tasks for a powerful person

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