Definition

Noun: - A hireling or lackey: A person who is hired or used by another, more powerful person or group to carry out tasks, often of an unethical, immoral, or subservient nature. The term carries a strong negative connotation of servility and moral compromise. - An agent or henchman: A subordinate who executes the orders or dirty work of their master, especially in a political, criminal, or oppressive context.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Hắn chỉ là tay sai của bọn buôn lậu. (He is just a lackey of the smugglers.)
  • Chế độ độc tài đó được duy trì bởi một lũ tay sai đắc lực. (That dictatorship is maintained by a bunch of loyal henchmen.)
  • Làm tay sai cho ngoại bang là một tội phản quốc. (Being a hireling for a foreign power is an act of treason.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is almost exclusively used in a pejorative and political-moral sense. It implies that the person has surrendered their autonomy and conscience for personal gain or under coercion.
• It often appears in historical or political discourse to describe collaborators with occupying forces, corrupt regimes, or criminal organizations.

Variants and Related Words

• Kẻ tay sai (n): Emphasizes the person as the "hireling." This is a very common collocation.
  • Chúng phát hiện hắn là một kẻ tay sai. (They discovered he was a hireling.)

Synonyms

• Lackey: A servile follower.
• Henchman: A faithful follower, especially one who engages in criminal or violent acts.
• Stooge: A person used by another for their own purposes.
• Minion: A subordinate, especially a servile or unimportant one.

Related Idioms

• Làm tay sai cho...: To act as a hireling for...
  • Nó không ngần ngại làm tay sai cho tội phạm. (He did not hesitate to act as a hireling for criminals.)

noun

1. agent, hireling, lackey