ingratiators
Those currying favor
Ingratiators are people who work to gain favor or acceptance, typically through flattery, excessive agreeableness, or calculated charm.
The word carries a negative connotation—ingratiators aren't genuinely likable but strategically so: The office ingratiators always laugh loudest at the boss's jokes.
The behavior suggests self-interest masked as friendliness.
Servile self-seeking flatterers
- flatterersThose offering insincere praise
- bootlickersServile seekers of favor
- toadiesServile flatterers seeking favor
- fawnersServile praise-givers
yes-men · apple-polishers · brown-nosers · grovelers · sweet-talkers · complimenters · admirers · praisers
Those cultivating professional contacts
- glad-handersInsincerely friendly people
- name-dropperOne who flaunts associations
- patronageSupporter's financial backing
- accessRight to enter
connections · influence · ambitious · careerist · climber · hanger-on · entourage · courtier
Crafty plot makers
- conniverOne who schemes secretly
- operatorOne who works machinery
- opportunistOne exploiting circumstances
- wheeler-dealerAggressive, scheming dealmaker
calculating · maneuvering · machination · agenda · exploitation · powerplay · leverage · positioning
Insincere pretenders
- pretendersThose falsely claiming something
- dissemblersThose who hide intentions
- impostorsThose falsely claiming identity
- two-facedInsincere and deceptive
insincere · disingenuous · duplicity · guile · artifice · facade · masquerade · backstabber
sycophants
Servile self-seeking flatterers
- flatterersThose offering insincere praise
- bootlickersServile seekers of favor
- toadiesServile flatterers seeking favor
fawners · yes-men · apple-polishers · brown-nosers · grovelers · sweet-talkers · complimenters · admirers · praisers · schmoozer
networkers
Those cultivating professional contacts
- glad-handersInsincerely friendly people
- name-dropperOne who flaunts associations
- patronageSupporter's financial backing
access · connections · influence · ambitious · careerist · climber · hanger-on · entourage · courtier
schemers
Crafty plot makers
- conniverOne who schemes secretly
- operatorOne who works machinery
- opportunistOne exploiting circumstances
wheeler-dealer · calculating · maneuvering · machination · agenda · exploitation · powerplay · leverage · positioning · cunning
phonies
Insincere pretenders
- pretendersThose falsely claiming something
- dissemblersThose who hide intentions
- impostorsThose falsely claiming identity
two-faced · insincere · disingenuous · duplicity · guile · artifice · facade · masquerade · backstabber · betrayer
ingratiatorsstraight shooters
Forthright, honest individuals
truth-tellers · iconoclasts · gadflies · contrarians · naysayers
ingratiatorsantagonists
Opponents in conflict
alienators · provocateurs · agitators · misanthropes · curmudgeons
ingratiate, ingratiates, ingratiated, ingratiating, ingratiatingly, ingratiation, graces, graced, gracing