sycophant
Americannoun
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sycophants
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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sycophancynoun
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sycophantismnoun
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sycophanticadjective
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sycophanticaladjective
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sycophantishadjective
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sycophanticallyadverb
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sycophantishlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of sycophant
First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin sȳcophanta, from Greek sȳkophántēs “informer,” from sŷko(n) “fig” + phan- (stem of phaínein “to show”) + -tēs, agent noun suffix
Explanation
A sycophant is a person who tries to win favor from wealthy or influential people by flattering them. Also known as brown-nosers, teacher's pets or suck-ups. Sycophant is from Latin sycophanta, from Greek sykophantēs, from sykon "fig" and phainein "to show, make known." The original sense was that of an informer, a person who gives information about criminal activities. "Showing the fig" was a vulgar gesture made by sticking the thumb between two fingers. The gesture was used to taunt an opponent or to make an accusation against someone.
Vocabulary lists containing sycophant
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“A sycophant with no combat experience has to tell Xi what Xi wants to hear,” wrote Drew Thompson, a former Pentagon official who met Zhang when he visited the U.S. in 2012.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 8, 2026
Peeking over her shoulder at her notes, he tuts, “Doesn’t sycophant have an ‘o’?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 28, 2025
Then, referring to the man who has replaced him as premier, he adds "not like Li Qiang", who he describes as a sycophant.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2023
He has been the “worst sycophant of all time,” as he put it at his favorite Omaha bar and grill this summer, parroting the usual flak he takes.
From New York Times ● Nov. 21, 2018
Apparently, the man had gone from servant to sycophant.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
The new boss will want to make a mark—almost any mark will do—to intimidate top performers and encourage sycophants.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
The consequences of replacing judicious and seasoned advisers with sycophants should have been a surprise to no one.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
It’s stale to nearly all but his biggest sycophants.
From Salon ● Feb. 25, 2026
When Hussein was deposed in Iraq, the military officers, Ba’ath Party loyalists and regime-tied sycophants who ruled the roost for nearly a quarter-century were forced to make do with an entirely new situation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2025
Shusgis talked and talked to me and to the many employees, aides, and sycophants who sat down at his table nightly; I had never known him so longwinded, so relentlessly jovial.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
