Meaning & use
sycophant
A person who flatters someone powerful or important to gain favor or advantage.
See it in a sentence
The new manager surrounded himself with sycophants who never questioned his decisions.
She despised the sycophants at court who agreed with everything the king said.
A note on using this word
Sycophant is a strongly negative word implying insincere flattery driven by self-interest, not genuine admiration or respect.
Words with a similar meaning
flatterertoady
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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