Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for sycophancy. Search instead for sycophantly.
Synonyms

sycophancy

American  
[sik-uh-fuhn-see, -fan-, sahy-kuh-] / ˈsɪk ə fən si, -ˌfæn-, ˈsaɪ kə- /

noun

  1. self-seeking or servile flattery.

  2. the character or conduct of a sycophant.

Etymology

Origin of sycophancy

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin sȳcophantia “trickery,” from Greek sȳkophantía “dishonest prosecution,” from sȳkophánt(ēs) “informer” ( sycophant ) + -ia -y 3

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.

The most basic way to counter AI sycophancy is to ask open-ended questions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

Bezos has no love for reporting but lots for sycophancy.

From Slate • Feb. 5, 2026

But while sycophancy is a symptom of user-model interaction, communication bias runs deeper.

From Salon • Jan. 3, 2026

It said it would build more guardrails to increase transparency, and refine the system itself "to explicitly steer the model away from sycophancy".

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2025

Thoughtless eclecticism, eager backward glances at a career, and income down to the meanest sycophancy occupy their places.

From Feuerbach: The roots of the socialist philosophy by Lewis, Austin

Definitions 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.