Medieval · insult · noun
Varlet
VAR-lit /ˈvɑːlət/ (UK)pronunciation given by a dictionary
First recordedmid-1400s
Originally a young attendant or servant, especially a knight's page (it is a doublet of 'valet'). Because servants were low in rank, by the 1540s it had become an insult: a low fellow, a rogue or rascal.
Where it was first recorded
Dated by Etymonline (mid-15c.), which does not name the work.
Also spelled: varlette, vadlet
In its own time
Call here my varlet; I’ll unarm again.
Today
Modern exampleSome varlet has eaten the sandwich I labelled with my name.
Harmless and theatrical — a classic stage-villain insult.
Questions
What does varlet mean?
Originally a young attendant or servant, especially a knight's page (it is a doublet of 'valet'). Because servants were low in rank, by the 1540s it had become an insult: a low fellow, a rogue or rascal.
When was varlet first used?
It is first recorded mid-1400s.
Can you still use varlet today?
Harmless and theatrical — a classic stage-villain insult.
Sources
- varlet — Etymonline (Online Etymology Dictionary)
- varlet — Merriam-Webster
- varlet — Wiktionary
- The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Troilus and Cressida; King Lear) — Project Gutenberg
Checked 2026-09-30 · verdict: attested — found in the dictionaries and texts listed above