little Eichmann
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Someone who is like the Nazi leader Adolf Eichmann; someone who seems ordinary but does evil as a member of an immoral or evil entity or system.
Register: derogatory, slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
Russian journalist Andrei Zhukov's work in Soviet archives produced a list of over 40,000 little Eichmanns who acted as willing, if not enthusiastic, executioners.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “little Eichmann” mean?
Someone who is like the Nazi leader Adolf Eichmann; someone who seems ordinary but does evil as a member of an immoral or evil entity or system.
Is “little Eichmann” formal or informal?
little Eichmann is generally derogatory, slang.