sycophantic

English

Etymology

From Ancient Greek σῡκοφᾰντῐκός (sūkophăntĭkós). By surface analysis, sycophant +‎ -ic.

Pronunciation

• enPR: sĭk-ə-făn'tĭk, IPA^(key): /sɪkəˈfæntɪk/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æntɪk

Adjective

sycophantic (comparative more sycophantic, superlative most sycophantic)

1. Excessively eager to please, especially for personal gain; obsequious, flattering.
   • 1987, “Paint a Vulgar Picture”, in Morrissey (lyrics), Johnny Marr (music), Strangeways, Here We Come, performed by The Smiths:

     The sycophantic slags all say / "I knew him first, and I knew him well"

   • 2011, Felix Hagan, “Just Like All The Rest”, in Dawn Breaks, the Monster Wakes...:

     I melt into a sycophantic soup, and all that’s left to do is giggle, fawn and swoon.

   • 2022 September 8, Stephen Bates, “Queen Elizabeth II obituary”, in The Guardian:

     when the princess’s former nanny Marion Crawford, “Crawfie”, published an entirely anodyne and sycophantic memoir in 1950, she was cast into outer darkness by the family.

   • 2025 February 28, Jonah Goldberg, “Dishonor and Incompetence in the Oval Office”, in The Dispatch:

     Then, at the 40 minute mark, [US Vice President J.D.] Vance chimed in with some sycophantic nonsense.

Derived terms

• sycophantically
• unsycophantic

Related terms

• sycophant

Translations

obsequious, flattering, toadying

• Czech: patolízalský
• Danish: slesk
• Dutch: pluimstrijkend (nl), kruiperig (nl), vleierig (nl)
• German: kriecherisch, unterwürfig
• Polish: służalczy (pl)
• Russian: льсти́вый (ru) (lʹstívyj)
• Spanish: zalamero (es), sicofántico
• Swedish: lismande (sv), smickrande (sv), len i munnen
• Turkish: yaltakçı (tr)