A small dog bred to sit on someone's lap for companionship, or a person who follows someone blindly without thinking for themselves.
From 'lap' (the space between waist and knees when sitting) combined with 'dog.' Dates to the 1600s-1700s for the literal meaning, and evolved by the 1800s to mean a person who shows obsequious loyalty.
Calling someone a 'lapdog' is brutal because it compares them to a pet—completely dependent and unable to think independently, which is why political opponents use this insult to suggest someone lacks backbone or original ideas.
Derives from gendered insult traditions: 'lapdog' conflates servility with femininity and weakness; used to emasculate men deemed overly compliant or dependent.
Avoid. Use specific critiques of behavior: 'overly deferential,' 'uncritically loyal,' 'lacking autonomy' without gendered insult framing.
["uncritically loyal","overly deferential","lacking independent judgment"]
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.