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bootlick

[ boot-lik ]
/ ˈbutˌlɪk /
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See synonyms for: bootlick / bootlicking / bootlicker 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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bootlick in a sentence

  • 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
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