minion
/'minjən/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. A servile or fawning subordinate: A person who is overly obedient and eager to please someone in authority, often for personal gain or favor. This usage carries a strong negative connotation of weakness and lack of independence. 2. (Archaic) A favorite or darling: A person who is highly favored or held in great affection by a superior. This older meaning is less common today.
Usage and Examples
- Noun (Modern, pejorative):
- The corrupt CEO was always surrounded by loyal minions who would do anything he asked.
- She wasn't a leader; she was just a minion carrying out orders from the head office.
- Noun (Archaic):
- The king's minion was showered with gifts and titles. (This sounds literary or historical.)
Advanced Usage and Nuances
- The term is almost always derogatory when used in modern English. It implies that the person has no principles of their own and derives their power or status solely from their connection to a more powerful figure.
- It is frequently used in contexts of villainy, bureaucracy, or corporate hierarchies to describe low-level, obedient followers.
- The phrase "minions of the law" is an old-fashioned, sometimes ironic term for police officers or jailers, portraying them as mere instruments of authority.
Variants and Related Words
- Minionette (noun, rare): A female minion.
- Minionry (noun, rare): A collective body of minions.
Synonyms
- Lackey: A servile follower; a toady.
- Flunky: A person who performs menial tasks; a sycophant.
- Underling: A subordinate (less negative, more neutral).
- Toady: A person who flatters or defers to others in an obsequious way.
- Stooge: A person used by another for their own purposes; a puppet.
Idioms and Fixed Phrases
- Minions of the law: (Archaic/Humorous) Officers of the law, such as police or prison guards.
- The thieves were finally apprehended by the minions of the law.
- Minion of fortune: (Archaic) A person who is favored by luck or fate.
Noun
- a servile or fawning dependant