sycophant
C1/C2Formal, Literary
Definition
Meaning
A person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain advantage.
A servile, insincere flatterer; a person who uses excessive flattery and deference to win favour with someone in power.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term implies an insincerity and a specific purpose—personal advancement or protection. It is strongly pejorative.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in definition or usage between BrE and AmE.
Connotations
Equally pejorative in both varieties.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in formal or historical contexts in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[be/become] a sycophant to [person]a sycophant of [person][person] is surrounded by sycophantsVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “(to) surround oneself with sycophants”
- “a court of sycophants”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Describes employees who excessively flatter executives for promotion.
Academic
Used in political science, history, and literary criticism to describe obsequious courtiers or advisors.
Everyday
Rare in casual conversation; used to criticise insincere social or professional behaviour.
Technical
Not a technical term.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He was accused of sycophanting his way to the top.
- Stop sycophanting and just do your job.
American English
- He spent the meeting sycophanting to the new CEO.
- She refuses to sycophant for a promotion.
adverb
British English
- He nodded sycophantly throughout the entire speech.
- She laughed sycophantly at his weak joke.
American English
- He agreed sycophantly with every point she made.
- They waited sycophantly for his approval.
adjective
British English
- His sycophant behaviour was obvious to everyone but the manager.
- A sycophant remark
American English
- Her sycophant attitude made her colleagues despise her.
- A sycophant letter of praise
Examples
By CEFR Level
- He is not a real friend, just a sycophant who wants a favour.
- The leader was surrounded by sycophants who never told him the truth.
- She was tired of the sycophants at the office party.
- The minister's sycophantic retinue insulated him from all criticism, leading to disastrous policies.
- His memoir exposed the culture of sycophancy that pervaded the royal court.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'SICK-o-fawn' – imagine someone feeling sick from watching another person FAWN (act overly flattering) over a boss.
Conceptual Metaphor
PEOPLE ARE SERVANTS (who debase themselves for reward).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Not to be confused with 'циник' (cynic). It is closer to 'подхалим', 'льстец', but with a stronger connotation of seeking personal gain.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing it with 'cynic' (a person who believes people are motivated by self-interest).
- Using it to describe someone who is genuinely admiring or supportive.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the BEST example of a sycophant's behaviour?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is considered a formal or literary word. In everyday speech, people are more likely to use simpler terms like 'yes-man', 'brown-noser', or 'flatterer'.
Yes, though it is rare and often considered a non-standard back-formation. The more common related forms are the adjective 'sycophantic' and the noun 'sycophancy'.
It comes from the Greek 'sykophantēs', originally meaning 'informer' or 'slanderer', from 'sykon' (fig) and 'phainein' (to show). Its exact connection to 'showing figs' is debated but may relate to informing on fig smugglers or making an obscene gesture.
A sycophant's support is insincere, self-serving, and based on flattery. A loyal supporter's allegiance is genuine, based on principle or genuine respect, and may involve constructive criticism.