Skip to main content
attendant

attendant

182 2.8
A person who serves or helps people in a public place
  • noun
  • /əˈtɛndənt/
: auxiliar
  • Please hand your bags to the attendant.
  • flight attendant
  • home attendant
  • care attendant

The access to a midwife, skilled birth attendant isn't there.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Our wonderful flight attendants are doing one last round of refreshments, and make sure you enjoy the tail end of this flight.

  • Through the public-address system, one of the flight attendants was instructing them on emergency procedures.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • We had the greatest flight attendant ever, right, on the flight from from LA to London.

  • I'll be your flight attendant.

  • Do not remove it unless directed by a flight attendant.

  • So she's a flight attendant and a mother of five.

  • Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Joanna McCauley and I'm your chief flight attendant.

  • Oh, and the flight attendants are again, New Zealand Air flight attendants are just stellar.

  • The attendant at the concert helped us find our seats.

  • I asked the attendant for assistance with my luggage at the airport.

Synonyms

waitress
vsattendant
333 1.0

A woman who serves food and drinks at tables in a restaurant or cafe

is gender neutral general role serving customers and guests in public places
waiter
vsattendant
282 1.0

A person who serves food and drinks to people in a restaurant or cafe

applies more widely to serving or assisting in varied public places
clerk
vsattendant
  • US
136 1.1

A person who helps customers and handles sales at a shop

is broader focusing on serving guests and customers at public events and places
flight attendant
vsattendant
101 3.2

A person who looks after passengers on an airplane and keeps them safe and comfortable

is a broader public serving role not limited to travel settings
receptionist
vsattendant
84 2.6

A person who greets visitors, answers the phone, and gives information at an office or hotel

is focused on serving customers and guests in varied public situations
stewardess
vsattendant
  • Archaic
59 4.6

A woman who works on an airplane and looks after passengers

is gender neutral general service role for customers and guests
server
vsattendant
56 2.0

A person who brings food and drinks to customers at their table

covers serving and assisting in different public settings beyond dining
concierge
vsattendant
46 6.3

A person at a hotel or apartment building who helps guests with mail, luggage, and bookings

is a wider public service role not limited to guest desk tasks
orderly
vsattendant
34 4.5

A hospital worker who helps with tasks like moving patients and cleaning

is a public serving role for guests and customers rather than hospital tasks
steward
vsattendant
  • UK
19 3.8

A person who serves and looks after passengers on a ship or plane

is the general serving role for customers and guests in public settings
greeter
vsattendant
12 2.8

A person who welcomes guests or customers as they arrive

performs wider serving and assistance duties beyond initial greeting
porter
vsattendant
11 2.3

A person who carries suitcases and bags at hotels or stations

is a broader customer service role not focused on luggage handling
tender
vsattendant
6 5.1

A person who cares for animals or people

is specifically about serving and assisting customers and guests in public places
hotel clerk
vsattendant
4 2.0

A person at a hotel's front desk who greets guests and handles check-ins and check-outs

performs general serving and assistance across public places and events
hostess
vsattendant
  • Archaic
3 5.3

A woman who looks after passengers on an airplane

is gender neutral general service role for guests and customers
counterman
vsattendant
3 7.2

A person who serves customers at a counter, for example in a diner

is a general service role not limited to counter service
checker
vsattendant
  • US
2 4.9

A person who takes and looks after coats or bags for customers

is a broader service role beyond coat and baggage care
usherette
vsattendant
  • Archaic
1 7.3

A woman who shows people to their seats in a theatre or cinema

is broader covering varied serving and assisting tasks in public places
busser
vsattendant
  • US
1 4.3

A person who clears plates and sets tables in a restaurant

performs broader guest assistance and serving duties beyond table work
servitor
vsattendant
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A person who helps important guests at formal events

is a general serving role across public places and events rather than ceremonial
hotel desk clerk
vsattendant
1 2.7

A person at the front desk of a hotel who helps guests

is broader covering many public serving and assisting roles
body servant
vsattendant
1 9.4

A person who helps someone dress and bathe every day

is public facing serving customers and guests in public places and events
room clerk
vsattendant
  • US
1 3.4

A hotel worker at the front desk who gives rooms and keys to guests

is a broader serving role beyond administrative room tasks
hospital attendant
vsattendant
  • Specialized
1 3.7

A person who helps patients and keeps the hospital clean but does not give medical treatment

is a public service role focused on customers and guests rather than patients
wine waiter
vsattendant
1 3.9

A person who serves and recommends wine to restaurant customers

is a general serving role not limited to wine service
air host
vsattendant
  • Archaic
1 4.2

A man who helps passengers on a plane and keeps them safe and comfortable

is the general public service role across many public places and events
valet de chambre
vsattendant
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A man who cares for a person's clothes and personal needs in a house or court

is a public service role for customers and guests not private personal care
baggage attendant
vsattendant
1 3.1

A person who moves and looks after passengers' luggage at an airport or train station

performs general guest or customer service, not specialized luggage tasks
commissionaire
vsattendant
  • UK
1 8.2

A person in uniform who opens doors and helps guests at hotels or theatres

is general service role not limited to uniformed entrance work
seater
vsattendant
1 4.8

A person who shows people to their seats at events

is broader covering various serving and assisting duties at public events
restaurant attendant
vsattendant
1 2.5

A person who serves guests and shows them to their table in a restaurant

is a general term for serving or assisting customers and guests
dining-room attendant
vsattendant
1 3.5

A person who serves food and helps guests in a dining room

is broader covering serving or assisting customers and guests in many places
disher
vsattendant
1 9.5

A person who serves food or drinks quickly and neatly

is broader indicating general service without implying special skill
servingman
vsattendant
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A man who works in a home to serve and help people

is modern general public service role rather than private household service
assister
vsattendant
1 3.0

A person who helps another with a task or need

is specific to serving customers and guests in public places and events
counterperson
vsattendant
1 4.6

A person who serves customers from behind a counter in a diner or shop

extends to serving and assisting across many public places and events
attender
vsattendant
1 5.3

A person who helps and looks after someone with daily needs

focuses on serving customers and guests mainly in public places and events
drinks waiter
vsattendant
  • UK
1 2.3

A person who brings drinks to guests in a bar or at an event

is broader covering many guest service tasks beyond beverages
waiter's assistant
vsattendant
1 3.0

A person who helps waiters by setting tables, serving customers and clearing dishes

is the main service role for guests and customers broadly
trolley dolly
vsattendant
  • Offensive
1 9.8

An informal word for a person who serves food and drinks on a plane

is the standard general word for serving or assisting guests

Compounds

A person who looks after passengers on an airplane and keeps them safe and comfortable

hospital attendant
  • Specialized
1 3.7

A person who helps patients and keeps the hospital clean but does not give medical treatment

A person who moves and looks after passengers' luggage at an airport or train station

A person who serves guests and shows them to their table in a restaurant

A person who serves food and helps guests in a dining room

How Responsible

warden
  • US
158 4.3
custodian
39 3.8
caretaker
84 1.9
keeper
148 2.5
attendant
182 2.8
helper
91 1.0

Surface Forms

attendant singular
attendants plural

Morphology

attendant = attend (semi-transparent) = attend + ant

Derived from 'attend' + '-ant' in the sense 'to attend to' (to serve or look after); learners who only know 'attend' as 'be present' may not immediately infer the service/serving-job sense.

Etymology

Attendant also comes from attend in the sense 'to look after' or 'to help', and you can see this idea in attention. So a parking or hotel attendant is someone whose job is to help or care for customers.