brown noser
- noun
- /ˈbraʊn ˈnoʊzər/
- Offensive
:
lamebotas
- The new employee quickly became known as a brown noser for complimenting the boss at every opportunity.
Examples
-
- Once a brown noser, always a brown noser.
-
I'm no brown-noser.
-
Oh, you're such a brown noser.
-
That bean is nothing but a kiss-ass brown-noser.
-
Many of his colleagues see him as a brown noser because he always praises the manager's decisions.
-
She doesn't want to be labeled a brown noser just because she is friendly with the supervisors.
Synonyms
20
8.4
A person who says nice things to a powerful person to get something for themselves
17
9.3
A person who praises someone important to get favors
3
4.2
A person who gives fake praise to get someone's favor
3
9.9
A person who flatters someone in charge to get favors
2
9.6
A person who flatters someone in power to get favors
1
9.9
A person who praises someone in power to get benefits
1
8.7
A person who flatters someone in power to get favours
A person who praises a boss to get a favor
A person who praises someone in power to get advantages
A person at work who praises their boss too much to get favors
A person who flatters people in charge to gain favor
A person who behaves very humbly to please others or avoid trouble
Antonyms
How Obsequious
- Offensive
8
9.0
- Offensive
17
9.3
- Offensive
3
4.2
1
3.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
brown + noser
The literal parts 'brown' (a color) and 'noser' (someone who pokes around) do not combine to yield the meaning 'someone who flatters authority' in any straightforward, compositional way. This is an informal, culture-specific slang term whose sense is idiomatic and historically motivated, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would not reliably infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
Brown noser comes from a vivid image: someone so eager to please a powerful person that their nose would be 'brown' from being too close to that person's behind. So, it describes 'someone who flatters people in authority to gain favor'.