bootlicking
- adjective
- /ˈbuːtˌlɪkɪŋ/
- Offensive
:
lamebotas
- Why she couldn't be the bootlicking lapdog he was.
Examples
-
His bootlicking behavior made him unpopular among his colleagues.
-
She avoided bootlicking and instead expressed her honest opinions during the meeting.
-
The politician surrounded himself with bootlicking advisors who never challenged his ideas.
Synonyms
25
7.7
Act very friendly and praise someone to gain their favor
10
7.4
To try to get someone to like you by praising them or being too helpful
9
8.2
To try hard to get praise or a promotion from someone like a boss
8
9.5
To try to please someone in power to get an advantage
4
8.2
To flatter someone in power without meaning it to get their favor
3
9.4
Behave too politely and humbly to please someone
1
9.1
Flatter and obey someone in power to get their favor
1
7.3
Pretending to be friendly to make someone like you
1
8.7
To praise or obey someone in power to get their support
1
6.8
To try to get someone's approval by praising them a lot
Showing too much praise and attention to please someone
To give praise that is not real to get a favor
Praise or act very friendly toward a boss to get something for yourself
To act too polite and flattering to someone in power to gain approval
To praise and obey a powerful person to get their support
Antonyms
How Obsequious
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word bootlicking comes from the clear image of the parts boot and lick, as if someone were literally 'licking a boot' to please a person above them. So calling someone bootlicking means they flatter or always try to please people in power 'to gain favor'.