Word
henchman
Phoneticshench·man, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈhɛntʃmən/
UK/hˈɛntʃmən/
Definitions
01criminal assistant
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a person who works for a criminal leader and does their dangerous or illegal work.
n. a subordinate member of a criminal organisation or gang who carries out the leader's orders, often involving violence.
“The villain sent his henchman to steal the documents from the office.”
“The crime boss remained in the shadows, delegating the physical intimidation of witnesses to his most trusted henchman.”
02political follower
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal
n. a loyal supporter of a powerful person who follows orders for their own benefit.
n. a loyal and often unscrupulous follower of a political figure, typically motivated by self-interest or personal gain.
“The governor was always surrounded by his henchmen during the election.”
“The senator relied on a network of political henchmen to ensure that local officials remained compliant with the new party platform.”
Synonyms
03historical page
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Archaic
n. in the past, a young servant or page for a person of high rank.
n. a page or squire to a person of high rank, such as a prince or nobleman.
“The prince was attended by a young henchman who carried his shield.”
“Historical records indicate that the royal henchman was responsible for attending to the king's horse during ceremonial processions.”
Etymology
From Middle English henxman (“page, attendant”), from Old English hengstmann, hengestmann (“groom”, literally “horseman”), from hengst, hengest (“stallion, horse, steed, gelding”) (from Proto-Germanic hangistaz (“stallion”), from Proto-Indo-European ḱanḱest-, *kankest- (“horse”)) + mann (“man”). Cognate with archaic German Hengstmann (“a groom”), Icelandic hestamaður (“horseman, groom”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/henchman