brown-nosing
Sucking up shamelessly
Brown-nosing is currying favor through excessive flattery or servile behavior toward someone in authority.
The image is crude—suggesting one's nose is brown from being too close to a superior's rear end.
A brown-noser is someone who habitually engages in such behavior: He got promoted through brown-nosing, not talent.
The term is mildly vulgar but common in casual speech.
Excessive insincere flattery
- bootlickingServile flattery for advantage
- toadyingObsequious behavior seeking favor
- sycophanticServilely flattering
- grovelingDemeaning self-abasement before another
apple-polishing · kowtowing · flattering · ingratiating · currying favor · sucking up · kissing up · buttering up
Servilely attentive to superiors
- servileExcessively submissive, lacking independence
- subservientExcessively eager to obey
- unctuousExcessively and insincerely earnest
- smarmyInsincerely ingratiating
oleaginous · slick · oily · smooth · insincere · calculating · manipulative · cloying
Uncritical agreeable subordinate
- teacher's petFavored student
- office politicsPower dynamics at work
- favoritismPreferential treatment of some
- nepotismPreferring kin in hiring
fawning
Excessive insincere flattery
- bootlickingServile flattery for advantage
- toadyingObsequious behavior seeking favor
- sycophanticServilely flattering
groveling · apple-polishing · kowtowing · flattering · ingratiating · currying favor · sucking up · kissing up · buttering up · schmoozing
obsequious
Servilely attentive to superiors
- servileExcessively submissive, lacking independence
- subservientExcessively eager to obey
- unctuousExcessively and insincerely earnest
smarmy · oleaginous · slick · oily · smooth · insincere · calculating · manipulative · cloying · simpering
yes-man
Uncritical agreeable subordinate
- teacher's petFavored student
- office politicsPower dynamics at work
- favoritismPreferential treatment of some
nepotism · ladder-climbing · glad-handing · networking · politicking
- flatteryflatter, praise, flattery, compliment, compliments
- praiselauding, compliments, laudation, accolades, great job
- slang behaviorsgoofing off, messing around, fooling around, horsing around, slacking
- Office SatireDilbert, Office Space, The Office, Silicon Valley, buzzword bingo
- sycophancyfawning, toadying, groveling, kowtowing, flattering
- schmoozingschmooze, schmoozing, hobnobbing, glad-handing, mingling
brown-nosingdefiance
Open resistance to authority
insubordination · rebelliousness · talking back · dissent · rebellion
brown-nosingcandor
Unguarded truthfulness
bluntness · plain-speaking · telling it like it is · honesty · frankness