Meanings
nounsycophant (plural sycophants)
plural sycophants
- One who uses obsequious compliments to gain self-serving favour or advantage from another; a servile flatterer.
A sycophant will everything admire: / Each verse, each sentence, sets his soul on fire
1683, John Dryden, The Art of Poetry2 more examples
VVhile a mean Crovvd of Sycophants attend, / And favvn and flatter, creep and cringe and bend; / The Fav'rite bleſſes his ſuperior State, / Riſes o'er all, and hails Himſelf the Great.
1743, Henry Fielding, “Of True Greatness. An Epistle to George Dodington, Esq”, in Miscellanies, […], volume I, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, page 3The latest act in the Madness of King Donald drama playing globally on every channel underlined the increasingly delusional world the anti-hero inhabits, his fantasies fed and indulged by a cast of sycophants, lackeys and straight grifters, all in it for what they can get.
2026 January 24, Michael Pascoe, “America’s mighty economic power has feet of clay”, in Michael West Media, archived from the original on 30 Jan 2026Synonyms: ass-kisser, brown-noser, suck-up, yes-man
- obsoleteAn informer; a talebearer.
[H]is mind had no eye to espy goodness; and therefore accusing sycophants, of all men, did best sort to his nature.
The New Arcadia
a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the folio)”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, →OCLC
verbsycophant (third-person singular simple present sycophants, present participle sycophanting, simple past and past participle sycophanted)
present singular third person sycophants · participle present sycophanting · participle past sycophanted · past sycophanted
- obsoletetransitiveTo inform against; hence, to calumniate.
As therefore he began in the title, so in the next leaf he makes it his first business to tamper with his reader by sycophanting and misnaming the work of his adversary.
1642, John Milton, Apology for Smectymnuus - raretransitiveTo play the sycophant toward; to flatter obsequiously.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounOne who uses obsequious compliments to gain self-serving favour or advantage from another; a servile flatterer.
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More synonyms by meaning
nouna person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage
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Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekσυκοφάντης
- Latinsȳcophanta“informer, trickster”
- Englishsycophant
First attested in 1537. From Latin sȳcophanta (“informer, trickster”), from Ancient Greek συκοφάντης (sukophántēs), itself from σῦκον (sûkon, “fig”) + φαίνω (phaínō, “to show, demonstrate”). The gesture of "showing the fig" was a vulgar one, which was made by sticking the thumb between two fingers, a display which vaguely resembles a fig, which is itself symbolic of a σῦκον (sûkon), which also meant vulva. The story behind this etymology is that politicians in ancient Greece steered clear of displaying that vulgar gesture, but secretly urged their followers to taunt their opponents by using it. Cognate with Italian sicofante, Spanish sicofanta.
More words from Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans beroepsverklikker, sikofant
- beroepsverklikkerone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- sikofantone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Arabic مُتَمَلِّق m مُدَاهِن
- مُتَمَلِّق m مُدَاهِن (mutamalliq)one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Bengali খয়ের খাঁ, চামচা
- খয়ের খাঁ (khoẏer khã)one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- চামচা (camca)one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Bulgarian подлизурко, подмазвач
- подлизурко (podlizurko)one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- подмазвач (podmazvač)one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- мазник (maznik)one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Catalan sicofanta
- sicofantaone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Chinese Cantonese 擦鞋仔, 擦鞋狗
- 擦鞋仔 (caat³ haai⁴ zai²)one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- 擦鞋狗 (caat³ haai⁴ gau²)one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Chinese Mandarin 巴兒狗 /巴儿狗
- 巴兒狗 /巴儿狗 (bārgǒu)one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Czech patolízal, pochlebovač
- patolízalone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- pochlebovačone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Danish spytslikker, rygklapper
- spytslikkerone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- rygklapperone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- røvslikkerone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- sykofantone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- hofsnogone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- øjentjenerone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Dutch gatlikker, kontlikker
- gatlikkerone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- kontlikkerone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- kruiperone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- pluimstrijkerone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- bruinwerkerone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- vleierone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- hielenlikkerone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Esperanto flatisto, flatulo
- flatistoone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- flatuloone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- ĝentilaĉuloone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Estonian takkakiitja, pealekaebaja
- takkakiitjaone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- pealekaebajaone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Finnish hännystelijä, mielistelijä
- hännystelijäone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- mielistelijäone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- imartelijaone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- perseennuolijaone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- nuoleskelijaone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
French flagorneur, lèche-bottes
- flagorneurone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- lèche-bottesone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- lèche-culone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
German Kriecher, Schmeichler
- Kriecherone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- Schmeichlerone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- Speichelleckerone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- Schleimerone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Greek κόλακας
- κόλακας (kólakas)one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Hebrew חנפן
- חנפן (khanfán)one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Hungarian talpnyaló
- talpnyalóone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Icelandic smjaðrari, höfðingjasleikja
- smjaðrarione who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- höfðingjasleikjaone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- undirlægjaone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Indonesian penjilat
- penjilatone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Italian ruffiano, delatore
- ruffianoone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- delatoreone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- leccaculoone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- adulatoreone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- sicofanteone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- leccapiedione who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Japanese ごますり
- ごますり (gomasuri)one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Latin assecula
- asseculaone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Lithuanian pataikūnas
- pataikūnasone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Malay pengampu
- pengampuone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Norwegian spyttslikker, spyttsleiker
- spyttslikkerone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- spyttsleikerone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Persian چاپلوس, خایهمال
- چاپلوس (čâplus)one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- خایهمال (xâye-mâl)one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Polish pochlebca, cmokier
- pochlebcaone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- cmokierone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- lizusone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Portuguese sicofanta, bajulador
- sicofantaone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- bajuladorone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- aduladorone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- lambe-botasone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- puxa-sacoone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- asseclaone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Punjabi ਚਮਚਾ
- ਚਮਚਾ (camcā)one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Romanian lingău, pupincurist
- lingăuone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- pupincuristone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Russian льстец, подхали́м
- льстец (lʹstec)one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- подхали́м (podxalím)one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- лизоблю́д (lizobljúd)one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- подли́за (podlíza)one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Scottish Gaelic sodalaiche
- sodalaicheone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Spanish sicofanta, sicofante
- sicofantaone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- sicofanteone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- pelotaone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- pelotilleroone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- acomedidoone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- barberoone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Swedish smickrare, sykofant
- smickrareone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- sykofantone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- lismareone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
- knähundone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Tagalog sipsip
- sipsipone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Turkish dalkavuk
- dalkavukone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Ukrainian підлабузник
- підлабузник (pidlabuznyk)one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Vietnamese nịnh hót
- nịnh hótone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Welsh gwenieithwr
- gwenieithwrone who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
Cite this entry
APA
sycophant. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sycophant
MLA
“sycophant.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sycophant. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sycophant,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sycophant.
Source: sycophant on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.