bootlick

[ boot-lik ]
/ ˈbutˌlɪk /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR bootlick ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to seek the favor or goodwill of in a servile, degraded way; toady to.

verb (used without object)

to be a toady.

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Origin of bootlick

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; boot1 + lick

OTHER WORDS FROM bootlick

boot·lick·er, noun

Words nearby bootlick

bootle, bootleg, bootleg play, bootlegged, bootless, bootlick, bootloader, boots, boots and all, boots and saddles, bootstrap
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to bootlick

fawn, toady, grovel

Example sentences from the Web for bootlick

  • You have to be a bit of a bootlick, and people will give you tips, which is against all scout rules.

    Boy Scouts in Glacier Park|Walter Prichard Eaton

British Dictionary definitions for bootlick

bootlick
/ (ˈbuːtˌlɪk) /

verb

informal to seek favour by servile or ingratiating behaviour towards (someone, esp someone in authority); toady

Derived forms of bootlick

bootlicker, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012