Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- v. Informal To curry favor with in an obsequious manner; fawn on.
Wiktionary
- n. One who brownnoses; one who sucks up; a bootlicker, ass-kisser, sycophant.
- v. To flatter someone (especially a superior) in an obsequious manner, and to support their every opinion
Etymologies
- From the image of an obsequious person whose nose becomes soiled in kissing the rump of someone from whom favor is sought.
Examples
“And there are people who are in government because they are looking to brownnose the industries they are supposed to be regulating so they can get a really high paying lobbyist job after a few years in government.”
The Huffington Post: Mike Lux: The Election War and the Internal War
“Of course Goneril and Regan are only too happy to brownnose Dad.”
“Why always the negative ... (we, know, to brownnose Obama) ...”
“Maybe Joe, seeing the Dems picking up more Senate seats in '08, is trying to brownnose the Dems.”
“Do personal favors for him and brownnose all you want, but make sure you do it sincerely.”
Alexandra Levit: The Corporate Freshman: 7 Ways to Make Your Boss Like You
“And we have the student council secretary who tattles on everyone, you know, and wants to brownnose.”
HOLLYWOOD INSIDER: 10 Things Producer Carter Covington talks high school
“How else will you be able to flirt/network/brownnose and cocktail all at the same time?”
Celia Chen: Notes on a Party: The Logistics of Hors D'Oeuvres
“Last week alone we saw that Wales's poorest areas were slipping further behind, that child poverty was still a major issue, and that while they brownnose the rich to stay in power the rest of us get shafted.”
“It can be tough to exceed a boss's expectations early into a job, but there are small ways you can stand out -- without coming across as a brownnose, says Mr. LeBlanc.”
“The image immediately brought to mind our TFNG efforts to brownnose Abbey back in 1978.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘brownnose’.
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Public List: Body Metaphors
Phrases that use body parts metaphorically.
neck of the woods, bone of contention, mouth of a river, teeth of the storm, heart of the matter, foot of the bed, eye of the storm, dogleg hole, finger lakes, headwaters, foothills, knik arm and 212 more...
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The Nose Knows
Being Nosy.
nosethril, nostril, nebby, nasal, rhinoplasty, pug, button, Roman, turned-up, Pinocchio, Cyrano de Bergerac, Gonzo and 54 more...
treeseed Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
transitive verb
Etymology: from the implication that servility is equivalent to having one's nose in the anus of the person from whom advancement is sought
Date: circa 1939
: to ingratiate oneself with : curry favor with
— brownnose noun
— brown·nos·er noun Feb 28, 2008