What does "hireling" mean?
An employee who is hired, often to perform unpleasant tasks with little independence.
Hireling
/ˈhaɪɹˌlɪŋ/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An employee who is hired, often to perform unpleasant tasks with little independence.
- Grammar: hireling is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: lackey, mercenary, adventurer, assistant.
- Useful contrasts: altruistic, employer, loyal.
- Usage evidence: And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron: This is the service of the Phase; no foreigner shall eat of it. But every bought servant shall be circumcised, and so shall eat. The stranger and the hireling shall not eat thereof.
How to use "hireling"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "hireling" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "hireling" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "hireling" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "hireling" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "hireling" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "lackey" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "hireling", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An employee who is hired, often to perform unpleasant tasks with little independence. derogatory, usually
"Is there not an appointed time to man vpon earth? are not his dayes alſo like the dayes of an hireling?"
- 2 a person who works only for money wordnet
- 3 Someone who does a job purely for money, rather than out of interest in the work itself. derogatory, usually
"[…]it may bee truely affirmed, that no kinde of men loue buſineſſe for it ſelfe, but thoſe that are learned; for other perſons loue it for profite; as an hireling that loues the worke for the wages;"
- 4 A horse for hire.
"In the afternoon they went to a neighbouring livery stables to look for hirellings."
- 5 A prostitute. obsolete
Antonyms
Example
"And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron: This is the service of the Phase; no foreigner shall eat of it. But every bought servant shall be circumcised, and so shall eat. The stranger and the hireling shall not eat thereof."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "hireling"?
Common synonyms include: lackey, mercenary, adventurer, assistant, condottiere, corruptible.
How do you use "hireling" in a sentence?
And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron: This is the service of the Phase; no foreigner shall eat of it. But every bought servant shall be circumcised, and so shall eat. The stranger and the hireling shall not eat thereof.
How do you pronounce "hireling"?
Pronounced /ˈhaɪɹˌlɪŋ/.
Etymology
From Middle English hirlyng, from Old English hȳrling (“hireling, employee”), from Proto-West Germanic *hūʀijuling. Cognate with West Frisian hierling, Dutch huurling (“hireling, mercenary”), German Low German Hüürling, German Heuerling. By surface analysis, hire + -ling.