DictionaryAI

sycophant

SIK-uh-fant/ˈsɪkəfænt/

Pluralsycophants

Verbsycophants, sycophanting, sycophanted

4 meanings of sycophant

Practice

  1. 1
    brown-nosernouncountable
    Someone who praises powerful people too much, or stays close to them, to get something for themselves.

    The new boss was surrounded by sycophants who agreed with everything he said.

    Don't be a sycophant. Just tell her what you really think.

    UsageA formal word for a suck-up.

    Similarflatterer, toady, yes-man

    Note
  2. 2
    verbraretransitive
    To praise someone too much to win their favor.

    UsagePeople usually say fawn over instead.

    Similarflatter

  3. 3
    nounobsolete
    A person who tells on other people to those in power.
    [H]is mind had no eye to espy goodness; and therefore accusing sycophants, of all men, did best sort to his nature.
    a. 1587, Philip Sidney, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia]Here, sycophants means informers, people who tell tales about others.
    Note

Less common meaning

  1. 4
    verbobsoletetransitive
    To report someone to people in power, or to tell lies about them.
    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 SmectymnuusHere, sycophanting means telling lies about someone or reporting them.
    Note

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Origin

From a Greek word made of "fig" and "show". Nobody knows for sure why it came to mean someone who informs on others.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

  • Sycophant derives from a Greek word formed from words meaning “fig” and “show”. en.wiktionary.org
  • The Greek word meant someone who informs on others. en.wiktionary.org
  • The connection between the literal components and the informer meaning is uncertain. en.wikipedia.org