Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Of or pertaining to a sycophant; characteristic of a sycophant; obsequiously flattering; parasitic; courting favor by mean adulation.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Of or pertaining to a sycophant; characteristic of a sycophant; meanly or obsequiously flattering; courting favor by mean adulation; parasitic.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective given to obsequious flattery.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective attempting to win favor by flattery
  • adjective attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Actually, the corporate media were sycophantic from the beginning, then, like now, stenographers to power, often irrelevant, mocking and diversionary with occasional luminous points of brilliance.

    April « 2006 « Bill Ayers 2006

  • Actually, the corporate media were sycophantic from the beginning, then, like now, stenographers to power, often irrelevant, mocking and diversionary with occasional luminous points of brilliance.

    Weather Underground Redux 2006

  • Cambria’s publisher said today: This is the typical sort of impudent response from a breed of London-centric politicians who fall over themselves in sycophantic frenzy to kow-tow to the British establishment whenever and wherever possible.

    Archive 2008-07-01 2008

  • According to Dershowitz, Lifton and Siegman were "sycophantic" in their Warsaw meeting with Glemp, thereby giving the cardinal a reason not to apologize for controversial remarks made four months earlier.

    A Role Model In His Own Mind 2008

  • Not only has this kind of sycophantic praise become an Internet joke, embellishments made by television stations are even more jaw-dropping: Ma is frugal, squeaky clean, full of filial piety, sincere, loyal to his party and patriotic to his country, adept at negotiations, as charming as former US president John F. Kennedy, and radiates gentleness from his double-lidded eyes.

    Archive 2008-04-01 Michael Turton 2008

  • Hope this explains it in a "sycophantic" but simple way.

    Archive 2005-11-01 2005

  • To achieve this, the MPs must be liberated from their "sycophantic" responsibility to their political parties and "party bosses".

    ANC Today 2005

  • To achieve this, the MPs must be liberated from their "sycophantic" responsibility to their political parties and "party bosses".

    ANC Today 2005

  • It certainly didn't help that he confronted the tribe with their "sycophantic" behaviour, exposed their lies, and begged them to give him another chance.

    Tonight 2010

  • Blair's reputation is destroyed, he will be remembered in history as some kind of sycophantic charlatan who used the military option first time every time.

    Army Rumour Service 2010

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