Meanings
present singular third person bootlicks · participle present bootlicking · participle past bootlicked · past bootlicked
- derogatorytransitiveTo seek favor from by fawning, servile behavior.
He had no social position to protect, no employer to bootlick.
2003, Todd DePastino, Citizen Hobo: How a Century of Homelessness Shaped America, page 81Synonyms: brown-nose, butter up, kiss up, apple-polish, bow and scrape, brown-nose, butter up, dickride
- derogatoryintransitiveTo engage in fawning, servile behavior.
plural bootlicks
- USderogatoryA toady or sycophant.
the involving of certain "bootlicks" into difficulty
1838, Oasis: An Anthology to Divert an Idle HourSynonyms: buttlicker, lickpot, adulator, apple polisher, arse-kisser, arse-licker, ass-kisser, ass-licker
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo seek favor from by fawning, servile behavior.
nounA toady or sycophant.
More synonyms by meaning
verbtry to gain favor by cringing or flattering
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Chinese Cantonese 擦鞋
- 擦鞋 (caat³ haai⁴)to seek favor from by fawning, servile behavior
Polish podlizywać się, podlizać się
- podlizywać sięto seek favor from by fawning, servile behavior
- podlizać sięto seek favor from by fawning, servile behavior
Turkish çanak yalamak, göt yalamak
- çanak yalamakto seek favor from by fawning, servile behavior
- göt yalamakto seek favor from by fawning, servile behavior
Cite this entry
bootlick. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bootlick
“bootlick.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bootlick. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bootlick,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bootlick.
Source: bootlick on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.