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Glite Dictionary
to cotton up

to cotton up

9.8
To act friendly to someone to get what you want
  • phrasal verb
  • UK
translation icon : adular
  • Stop cottoning up to me—I know you want something.

Examples

  • Don't cotton up to the boss just to get a promotion!

  • He always tries to cotton up to the boss when he wants a day off.

  • I could tell she was cottoning up to the teacher for a better grade.

  • She always cottons up to her teachers for better grades.

  • To win the employee of the month award, she decided to cotton up to her manager with flattery.

  • He always tries to cotton up to his teachers by bringing them gifts at the start of the semester.

  • In order to gain favor with the boss, he learned to cotton up to her during meetings.

Synonyms

to suck up
vsto cotton up
  • Informal
26 8.0

To praise someone to get their approval

is similar but emphasizes deliberate pleasing rather than servility
to kiss up
vsto cotton up
  • Informal
16 7.9

Say nice things to someone to get their help or a reward

is more about insincere efforts to be liked than mere advantage seeking
to butter up
vsto cotton up
  • Informal
13 4.2

Say nice things to someone to get what you want

involves the same flattering method but stresses insincerity for gain
to ingratiate
vsto cotton up
10 8.2

Try to make someone like you by praising them or doing kind things

focuses specifically on insincere attempts to be liked for personal advantage
to cozy up
vsto cotton up
  • Informal
6 7.0

To try to make someone like you for your own advantage, often in a fake way

focuses more on calculated liking for personal gain than casual friendliness
to sidle up
vsto cotton up
4 7.6

To move close to someone quietly to pretend to be friendly and get their favour

shares the goal of favor but differs in focusing on the manner of approach
to play up
vsto cotton up
  • Informal
1 5.5

Try to get someone's approval by giving false praise

aligns closely but is presented more generally than specific flattering actions
to shine up
vsto cotton up
  • Informal
1 8.0

Try to make someone like you by giving fake praise or acting friendly

is the same aim but stresses the attempt rather than the praise itself
to honey up to
vsto cotton up
  • Informal
8.8

To please someone with too many compliments to get a favor

is the same tactic but highlights overdone friendliness

Antonyms

to offend
524 2.8

Cause a person to feel hurt, upset and angry because of your words or actions

to alienate
123 6.7

To make someone feel alone and lose support from others

How Insincere

to grovel
42 7.4
to fawn
25 7.7
to cotton up
  • UK
9.8

Surface Forms

cotton up infinitive
cottoned up past
cottoned up past participle
cottoning up present participle
cottons up third person singular

Morphology

cotton + up

The literal meanings of 'cotton' (a fabric/plant) and the particle 'up' do not combine to yield 'to ingratiate oneself'; there is no clear compositional or metaphorical path from the constituents to that sense. This is a colloquial, idiomatic usage (often in the pattern 'cotton up to someone') that a B1 learner who only knows the individual words would not reliably infer, so it is opaque.

Etymology

Cotton up may come from the image of using soft cotton to make someone feel calm and friendly. So cotton up means 'to flatter or win someone's favor'.