sycophancy
Fawning for favor
Sycophancy is excessive flattery or fawning behavior toward someone in power, typically to gain favor or advantage.
The sycophant praises indiscriminately, agrees reflexively, and never offers honest criticism.
The CEO surrounded himself with yes-men, and the sycophancy eventually cost the company millions.
The word carries strong contempt—sycophancy implies both dishonesty and weakness.
Excessive insincere praise
- fawningExcessive insincere flattery
- obsequiousnessServile eagerness to please
- toadyingObsequious behavior seeking favor
- bootlickingServile flattery for advantage
groveling · kowtowing · ingratiating · servility · brown-nosing · apple-polishing · yes-man · suck-up
Royal household attendant
- powerEnergy transfer rate
- patronageSupporter's financial backing
- cronyismFavoring friends in appointments
- nepotismPreferring kin in hiring
influence · lobbying · lackey · henchman · minion · flunky · apparatchik · bureaucrat
Workplace superior
- promotionRank increase or publicity
- corporateOf or relating to companies
- managementOrganizing and directing resources
- supervisorOne who directs workers
praise · validation · networking · favoritism · hierarchy · subordinate · ambitious · manipulative
Correct relative positioning
- chatbotConversational AI program
- assistantOne who aids another
- agreeablePleasantly cooperative
- harmlessCausing no injury
helpful · reinforcement · feedback · people-pleasing · validation-seeking · anthropic · safety · honesty
flattery
Excessive insincere praise
- fawningExcessive insincere flattery
- obsequiousnessServile eagerness to please
- toadyingObsequious behavior seeking favor
bootlicking · groveling · kowtowing · ingratiating · servility · brown-nosing · apple-polishing · yes-man · suck-up · pandering
courtier
Royal household attendant
- powerEnergy transfer rate
- patronageSupporter's financial backing
- cronyismFavoring friends in appointments
nepotism · influence · lobbying · lackey · henchman · minion · flunky · apparatchik · bureaucrat · advisor
boss
Workplace superior
- promotionRank increase or publicity
- corporateOf or relating to companies
- managementOrganizing and directing resources
supervisor · praise · validation · networking · favoritism · hierarchy · subordinate · ambitious · manipulative · insincere
alignment
Correct relative positioning
harmless · helpful · reinforcement · feedback · people-pleasing · validation-seeking · anthropic · safety · honesty · truthfulness
- bad behaviorcheating, stealing, lying, greed, selfishness
- flatteryflatter, praise, flattery, compliment, compliments
- court intrigueintrigue, plots, schemes, plotting, conspiracy
- office politicsoffice politics, backstabbing, power plays, favoritism, nepotism
- submissivenesssubmissiveness, docility, meekness, obedience, tractability
- sycophancyfawning, toadying, groveling, kowtowing, brown-nosing
sycophancyabuse
Cruel or violent treatment
insult · belittlement · criticism · derision · disparagement
sycophancysincerity
Honest, unfeigned genuineness
candor · frankness · honesty · forthrightness · truthfulness
sycophancydefiance
Open resistance to authority
insubordination · independence · rebelliousness · self-respect · assertiveness