Meaning & use
Brownnosing
Last updated
The act of flattering or currying favor with someone in authority in an obsequious or excessive way.
See it in a sentence
His constant brownnosing of the manager annoyed the rest of the team.
She got the promotion through hard work, not brownnosing.
A note on using this word
The term is informal and slightly crude in origin, evoking the image of someone so eager to please that they figuratively press their nose against a superior.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. verb
To flatter someone in authority to gain favor.
He was brownnosing the boss all week before the layoffs.
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