to lick someone's ass
- idiom
- /lɪk ˈsʌmˌwʌnz æs/
- Offensive
:
chuparle el culo a alguien
- He got the job by always licking the manager's ass and never questioning her decisions.
Examples
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People respect honesty more than watching someone lick the boss's ass all day.
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You don't have to lick his ass just to get on his good side.
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Don't lick his ass just to get a promotion!
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Why do you always lick his ass in meetings?
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She always licks someone's ass to get promoted.
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He decided to lick someone's ass for a better grade.
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They tend to lick someone's ass in hopes of getting more responsibilities.
Synonyms
16
7.9
Say nice things to someone to get their help or a reward
13
4.2
Say nice things to someone to get what you want
8
9.5
To try to please someone in power to get an advantage
Act too friendly and eager to please someone to get a favor
Praise or act very friendly toward a boss to get something for yourself
To beat someone completely or praise them too much
Antonyms
How Obsequious
42
7.4
- Offensive
- Informal
13
4.2
95
1.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal constituents ('lick' + 'someone's' + 'ass') create a vivid, vulgar image of submissive/degrading behavior, which can cue non-literal meaning of extreme servility. However, mapping that image specifically to the idiomatic sense 'to flatter or ingratiate oneself' requires cultural/idiomatic knowledge (and awareness of related idioms like 'kiss someone's ass'), so a B1 learner who only knows the words may guess the general humiliating/submissive sense but not reliably the exact idiomatic meaning.
Etymology
Lick someone's ass comes from a rude image: someone licking another person's ass to show they will do anything for that person. That's why it means 'to flatter or praise someone too much to gain favor'.