sucking up
Currying favor shamelessly
Sucking up is flattering or ingratiating oneself with someone in a position of power or authority, usually to gain favor or advantage.
The behavior is transparent and often contemptible to observers: He's always sucking up to the boss.
One who does this is a suck-up.
The verb form is to suck up: She sucks up to anyone who might help her career.
- brown-nosingObsequious flattery for favor
- bootlickingServile flattery for advantage
- grovelingDemeaning self-abasement before another
- buttering upExcessive flattery for advantage
- laying it on thickExaggerating to excess
flattery · apple-polishing · sycophancy · obsequiousness · toady · fawning · currying favor · yes man · ass-kissing · ingratiation · servility · playing favorites · brown noser · suction · siphoning · vacuum · inhalation · drawing in
- flatteryflatter, praise, flattery, compliment, compliments
- slang behaviorsgoofing off, messing around, fooling around, horsing around, slacking
- office politicsoffice politics, backstabbing, power plays, favoritism, nepotism
- schmoozingschmooze, schmoozing, hobnobbing, glad-handing, mingling
- conformityconformity, conforming, conform, conformist, conformism
- gossiprumor, rumors, gossip, hearsay, whisper
sucking updefiance
Open resistance to authority
rebellion · insubordination · standing up to · talking back · defying
sucking upbeing honest
Stating facts sincerely
telling it like it is · straight talk · brutal honesty · sincerity · keeping it real
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