sycophantic

4 9.2

Giving too much praise to an important person to gain favor

adjective
/ˌsɪkəˈfæntɪk/

Formal

: sicomorfo

The politician's sycophantic supporters praised every little action he took.
sycophantic press
so sycophantic

And the entire narrative of this exhaustingly sycophantic podcast is for Megan to say to her fans.

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Examples

Without being sycophantic, mention the things you appreciate about them that made you get in touch.

Blog text (34)
Just save your sycophantic remarks till you are back in Washington.

Attack of the Sabretooth (2005)
We are better than these sycophantic drones assume, and we know it.

Blog text (8)
Students communicate for the sycophantic motive as a way to get on their instructors' good side or to make a favorable impression.

Academic text (2013)
Now he is a benevolent statesman, described much like the founding fathers were by sycophantic 19th-century historians.

Blog text (18)
His sycophantic behavior towards the CEO made it clear he was hoping for a promotion.
She offered sycophantic compliments to her boss, eager to win his favor.

Synonyms

flattering

vssycophantic

57 4.2

Giving praise that is too much and not sincere to gain someone's favor

targets important people to secure advantage rather than general complimentary words

obsequious

vssycophantic

Formal

7 9.3

Trying too hard to please someone in a way that seems false

stresses praising important people for advantage more than obedience or eagerness

adulatory

vssycophantic

Formal

1 9.1

Giving much praise that does not seem honest

aims at complimenting powerful people to gain advantage rather than mere admiration

toadyish

vssycophantic

9.9

Being too friendly and praising someone important to get favor

is more about giving praise to important people to obtain advantage rather than servility

bootlicking

vssycophantic

Offensive

8.6

Acting too friendly and praising people in power to get favors

gives praise to powerful figures to gain advantage rather than general submissiveness

lickspittle

vssycophantic

Offensive

9.9

Showing too much praise to a person with power

focuses on praising important people for advantage rather than only servile attitude

fawning

vssycophantic

7.4

Showing too much praise and attention to please someone

is directed at important people to gain advantage rather than simple warmth

ingratiatory

vssycophantic

9.6

Trying to please someone to get their approval, often not sincere

focuses on praising important people to gain advantage rather than mere intention

Antonyms

honest

∞ 1.0

Truthful and fair, not cheating or lying

direct

302 3.5

Honest and clear in speech or action

forthright

32 5.5

Being direct and honest when talking or acting

How Obsequious

servile

3 7.4

sycophantic

Formal

4 9.2

obsequious

Formal

7 9.3

ingratiating

1 7.3

flattering

57 4.2

Surface Forms

sycophantic positive

sycophant comparative

sycophantest superlative

Morphology

sycophantic = sycophant (transparent) = sycophant + ic

Formed from the noun 'sycophant' plus the adjectival suffix '-ic', so if a learner knows 'sycophant' the adjective meaning is predictable.

Etymology

Sycophantic comes from Greek parts sukon 'fig' and phainein 'to show'. A helpful way to remember it is this: one old story says people who 'showed figs' were seen as betrayers who wanted rewards, and later the word came to mean someone who flatters powerful people to get advantage, so sycophantic means overly flattering to gain favour.