Phrase guide

yes man

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /jɛs mæn/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A person who always agrees with their employer or superior.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • Crowds of yes men elbowed one another out of the way, hoping to get a chance to kiss the boss's ring.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: yeasayer, yea-sayer, asskisser, ass-licker, bootlicker, brown noser, suck-up, sycophant, toady, Uriah Heep

Antonyms: hero, mensch, truthteller

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

50 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: jabroer — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Arabic: إِمَّعَة (ʔimmaʕa) — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Azerbaijani: ələkçinin qıl verəni — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Bulgarian: послушко (posluško) — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Chinese Cantonese: 好好先生 (hou2 hou2 sin1 saang1) — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Chinese Cantonese: 應聲蟲 /应声虫 (jing3 sing1 cung4) — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Chinese Mandarin: 跟屁蟲 /跟屁虫 (gēn pì chóng) — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Chinese Mandarin: 應聲蟲 /应声虫 (yìngshēng chóng) — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Czech: poskok — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Danish: jasiger — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Dutch: jaknikker — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Dutch: jabroer — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Finnish: jees-mies — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • French: béni-oui-oui — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • German: Jasager — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Hebrew: יסמן (yésmen) — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Hindi: चमचा (camcā) — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Hindi: जी-हुज़ूर (jī-huzūr) — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Hungarian: fejbólintó János — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Italian: yes man — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Japanese: イエスマン (iesuman) — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Korean: 아첨군 (acheomgun) — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Latin: assentātor — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Macedonian: климогла́вец (klimoglávec) — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Macedonian: ами́нџија (amíndžija) — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Norwegian Bokmål: nikkedukke — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Norwegian Bokmål: spyttslikker (spilt-licker) — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Persian: بلهقربانگو (bale-qorbân-gu) — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Plautdietsch: Jo-brooda — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Polish: potakiwacz — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Portuguese: pau-mandado — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Portuguese: lambe-botas — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Portuguese: puxa-saco — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Russian: сикофа́нт (sikofánt) — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Russian: подхали́м (podxalím) — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Russian: лизоблю́д (lizobljúd) — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Russian: подпева́ла (podpevála) — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Serbo-Croatian: по̀слӯшнӣк — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Serbo-Croatian: pòslūšnīk — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Spanish: sacristán de amén — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Spanish: lameculos — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Swedish: ja-sägare — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Swedish: nickedocka — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Tamil: பூம்பூம்மாடு (pūmpūmmāṭu) — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Tamil: ஜால்ரா (jālrā) — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Turkish: evet efendimci — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Yiddish: צובאָמקער (tsubomker) — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Yiddish: באַסאָק (basok) — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Yiddish: פּאָטאַקעווער (potakever) — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior
  • Yiddish: אונטערבאָמקער (unterbomker) — a person who always agrees with his employer or superior