'Sycophant' definitions:
Definition of 'sycophant'
From: WordNet
noun
A person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage [syn: sycophant, toady, crawler, lackey, ass-kisser]
Definition of 'Sycophant'
From: GCIDE
- Sycophant \Syc"o*phant\, v. t. [CF. L. sycophantari to deceive, to trick, Gr. ?.]
- 1. To inform against; hence, to calumniate. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]
- Sycophanting and misnaming the work of his adversary. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
- 2. To play the sycophant toward; to flatter obsequiously. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'Sycophant'
From: GCIDE
- Sycophant \Syc"o*phant\, n. [L. sycophanta a slanderer, deceiver, parasite, Gr. ? a false accuser, false adviser, literally, a fig shower; ? a fig + ? to show: cf. F. sycophante. The reason for the name is not certainly known. See Phenomenon.]
- 1. An informer; a talebearer. [Obs.] "Accusing sycophants, of all men, did best sort to his nature." --Sir P. Sidney. [1913 Webster]
- 2. A base parasite; a mean or servile flatterer; especially, a flatterer of princes and great men. [1913 Webster]
- A sycophant will everything admire: Each verse, each sentence, sets his soul on fire. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'Sycophant'
From: GCIDE
- Sycophant \Syc"o*phant\, v. i. To play the sycophant. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'sycophant'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- adherent,
- adulator,
- apple-polisher,
- ass-licker,
- backscratcher,
- backslapper,
- blarneyer,
- bootlick,
- bootlicker,
- bootlicking,
- brown-nose,
- brownie,
- cajoler,
- clawback,
- courtier,
- cowering,
- creature,
- cringer,
- cringing,
- disciple,
- dummy,
- dupe,
- fawner,
- figurehead,
- flatterer,
- flunky,
- follower,
- footlicker,
- gillie,
- goon,
- gopher,
- groveler,
- groveling,
- handshaker,
- hanger-on,
- helot,
- henchman,
- instrument,
- jackal,
- kowtower,
- kowtowing,
- lackey,
- led captain,
- lickspit,
- lickspittle,
- man,
- mealymouth,
- minion,
- myrmidon,
- parasitic,
- peon,
- puppet,
- reptile,
- satellite,
- self-seeker,
- serf,
- slave,
- snob,
- spaniel,
- stooge,
- suck,
- thug,
- timeserver,
- toad,
- toadeater,
- toady,
- toadying,
- toadyish,
- tool,
- truckler,
- truckling,
- tufthunter,
- votary,
- wheedler,
- yes-man