brown-nose
Seek unearned approval
Brown-nose means to curry favor through excessive flattery or obsequious behavior toward someone in authority.
The image is of having one's nose up someone's backside—crude but vivid.
As a noun, a brown-noser is a sycophant: He's such a brown-nose, always agreeing with the boss.
The term is mildly vulgar but common in casual speech.
Obsequious flatterer seeking favor
- bootlickerServile flatterer of superiors
- suck-upOne who flatters superiors
- apple-polisherObsequious flatterer of authority
- yes-manUncritical agreeable subordinate
lickspittle · flunky · lackey · groveler · fawner · flatterer · crawler · minion
Young deer, or flatter
- grovelHumble oneself servilely
- kowtowExcessive deference shown physically
- suck-upOne who flatters superiors
- kiss-upFawning flatterer for gain
ingratiate · schmooze · pander · toady · bootlick · truckle · cringe · crawl
Praise to please
- sweet-talkFlatter to persuade
- complimentWords expressing approval
- praiseExpression of approval
- adulatePraise to excess
charm · cajole · blandish · soft-soap · wheedle · stroke · gush · woo
Servilely attentive to superiors
- servileExcessively submissive, lacking independence
- subservientExcessively eager to obey
- sycophanticServilely flattering
- fawningExcessive insincere flattery
groveling · unctuous · oleaginous · smarmy · ingratiating · toadying · slavish · deferential
toady
Obsequious flatterer seeking favor
- bootlickerServile flatterer of superiors
- suck-upOne who flatters superiors
- apple-polisherObsequious flatterer of authority
yes-man · lickspittle · flunky · lackey · groveler · fawner · flatterer · crawler · minion · stooge
fawn
Young deer, or flatter
- grovelHumble oneself servilely
- kowtowExcessive deference shown physically
- suck-upOne who flatters superiors
kiss-up · ingratiate · schmooze · pander · toady · bootlick · truckle · cringe · crawl · genuflect
flatter
Praise to please
- sweet-talkFlatter to persuade
- complimentWords expressing approval
- praiseExpression of approval
adulate · charm · cajole · blandish · soft-soap · wheedle · stroke · gush · woo · court
obsequious
Servilely attentive to superiors
- servileExcessively submissive, lacking independence
- subservientExcessively eager to obey
- sycophanticServilely flattering
fawning · groveling · unctuous · oleaginous · smarmy · ingratiating · toadying · slavish · deferential · cringing
- flatteryflatter, praise, flattery, compliment, compliments
- conformityconformity, conforming, conform, conformist, conformism
- fawn overgush, dote, adore, worship, idolize
- lay it on thickexaggerate, overstate, embellish, ham it up, overact
- sycophantssycophant, sycophants, toady, toadies, bootlicker
brown-nosedefy
Resist or challenge openly
rebel · resist · stand up to · talk back · disobey
brown-nosespeak truth to power
Criticize those in charge
level with · antagonize · tell it like it is · rub the wrong way · make waves