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sycophant

[ sik-uh-fuhnt, -fant, sahy-kuh- ]
/ ˈsɪk ə fənt, -ˌfænt, ˈsaɪ kə- /
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See synonyms for: sycophant / sycophants / sycophantically / sycophantic on Thesaurus.com

noun

a self-seeking, servile flatterer; fawning parasite.

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QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”

Are you aware how often people swap around “their,” “there,” and “they’re”? Prove you have more than a fair grasp over these commonly confused words.
Question 1 of 7
Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?
their
there
they're
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Origin of sycophant

1530–40; <Latin sȳcophanta<Greek sȳkophántēs informer, equivalent to sŷko(n) fig + phan- (stem of phaínein to show) + -tēs agentive suffix

OTHER WORDS FROM sycophant

syc·o·phan·tic, syc·o·phan·ti·cal, syc·o·phant·ish, adjectivesyc·o·phan·ti·cal·ly, syc·o·phant·ish·ly, adverbsyc·o·phant·ism, noun

Words nearby sycophant

sycoma, sycon, syconium, syconoid, sycophancy, sycophant, sycophantic, sycosiform, sycosis, Sydenham, Sydenham's chorea
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

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Words related to sycophant

groupie, lackey, adulator, politician, puppet, minion, slave, parasite, fan, flatterer, flunky, hanger-on, doormat, backslapper, backscratcher, bootlicker, fawner, groveler, brownnoser, handshaker

Example sentences from the Web for sycophant

British Dictionary definitions for sycophant

sycophant
/ (ˈsɪkəfənt) /

noun

a person who uses flattery to win favour from individuals wielding influence; toady

Derived forms of sycophant

sycophancy, noun

Word Origin for sycophant

C16: from Latin sӯcophanta, from Greek sukophantēs, literally: the person showing a fig, apparently referring to the fig sign used in making an accusation, from sukon fig + phainein to show; sense probably developed from ``accuser'' to ``informer, flatterer''
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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