kiss-up

noun

One who flatters a supervisor, or superior, in order to get special attention

“Joe got that promotion because he was a kiss-up, not because he knew the job.”

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Meanings

nounkiss-up (plural kiss-ups)

plural kiss-ups

  1. colloquialOne who flatters a supervisor, or superior, in order to get special attention

    Joe got that promotion because he was a kiss-up, not because he knew the job.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
suck-up

Origin

Deverbal from kiss up.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

kiss-up. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kiss-up

MLA

“kiss-up.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kiss-up. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kiss-up,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kiss-up.

Source: kiss-up on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.