butler

butler — noun

1. a senior male staff member in a wealthy household whose job is to greet visitors

1.名詞C1
釋義

a senior male staff member in a wealthy household whose job is to greet visitors, supervise the other domestic workers, and make sure that meals and drinks are properly served.

例句

The Carlisle family's butler greeted every guest at the front door with a small bow.

typical role: greeting guests at the door

Mr. Hadley had served as the duke's butler for nearly forty years.

collocation: serve as someone's butler

同義詞
  • manservant

    older, broader term for any male household servant; less senior than a butler

  • majordomo

    formal; the chief steward of a very grand household, often outranking a butler

  • valet

    a personal male servant who looks after one master's clothes and grooming, not the whole house

反義詞
  • master

    the head of the household who employs the butler

  • mistress

    the female head of the household, the butler's employer

文法句型

a/the butler

butler + verb

用法筆記

Subject is usually wealthy, aristocratic, or fictional employers; the role mainly appears in historical, royal, or upper-class settings, so the word can sound old-fashioned or elite in everyday Taiwan-learner contexts.

常見錯誤

❌My family hired a butler to clean the kitchen.
✅My family hired a cleaner to clean the kitchen.
💡a butler manages staff and serves guests; basic cleaning work is done by a cleaner or maid.
❌She works as a butler at a small café.
✅She works as a waitress at a small café.
💡a butler works inside a private home, not a restaurant or shop.