sycophant
Fawning yes-person
Sycophant is a term used to negatively characterize someone who cultivates favor with people in power by acting agreeable and servile: The King has always been surrounded by sycophants who tells him what he wants to hear.
Sycophant has several synonyms, such as parasite, toady, and leech.
Obsequious flatterer seeking favor
- bootlickerServile flatterer of superiors
- lackeyServile follower or minion
- fawningExcessive insincere flattery
- obsequiousServilely attentive to superiors
groveling · kowtowing · yes-man · flunky · minion · stooge · toadyism · subservience
Royal household attendant
- flattererOne dispensing insincere praise
- apparatchikBlindly devoted official
- cronyClose longtime companion
- loyalistFaithful supporter of authority
partisan · functionary · henchman · puppet · mouthpiece · spokesman · vassal · retainer
Feigning ignorance or innocence
- phonyFraudulent person or thing
- falseNot matching reality
- hypocriticalFeigning beliefs one lacks
- duplicitousDeliberately deceptive in nature
two-faced · unctuous · hollow · feigned · pretentious · smarmy · oleaginous · slick
One exploiting circumstances
- climberOne who scales
- self-servingBenefiting oneself primarily
- parasiticExploiting a host organism
- exploitativeUnfairly using others' vulnerabilities
mercenary · user · leech · apple-polishing · advancement · ambitious · patronage · brown-nosing
Crafty and calculating
- calculatingColdly self-serving in strategy
- ingratiatingSeeking favor through flattery
- maneuveringSkillful directional control
- connivingSecretly planning wrongdoing
cunning · wheedling · cajoling · beguiling · machination · wiles · guile · subterfuge
toady
Obsequious flatterer seeking favor
- bootlickerServile flatterer of superiors
- lackeyServile follower or minion
- fawningExcessive insincere flattery
obsequious · groveling · kowtowing · yes-man · flunky · minion · stooge · toadyism · subservience · slavishness
courtier
Royal household attendant
- flattererOne dispensing insincere praise
- apparatchikBlindly devoted official
- cronyClose longtime companion
loyalist · partisan · functionary · henchman · puppet · mouthpiece · spokesman · vassal · retainer · underling
disingenuous
Feigning ignorance or innocence
- phonyFraudulent person or thing
- falseNot matching reality
- hypocriticalFeigning beliefs one lacks
duplicitous · two-faced · unctuous · hollow · feigned · pretentious · smarmy · oleaginous · slick · glib
opportunist
One exploiting circumstances
- climberOne who scales
- self-servingBenefiting oneself primarily
- parasiticExploiting a host organism
exploitative · mercenary · user · leech · apple-polishing · advancement · ambitious · patronage · brown-nosing · sponger
scheming
Crafty and calculating
- calculatingColdly self-serving in strategy
- ingratiatingSeeking favor through flattery
- maneuveringSkillful directional control
conniving · cunning · wheedling · cajoling · beguiling · machination · wiles · guile · subterfuge · artful
- flatteryflatter, praise, flattery, compliment, compliments
- smooth talkerssmooth talker, smooth-talker, sweet talker, sweet-talker, fast talker
- sycophantstoady, toadies, bootlicker, bootlickers, brownnosers
- hangers-onhanger-on, tagalong, leech, parasite, freeloader
- difficult peopleegomaniac, egotist, nitpicker, drama queen, control freak
- fakesfake, fakes, counterfeit, counterfeits, imitation
sycophantcritic
One who judges merit
truth-teller · straight shooter · whistleblower · dissenter · gadfly
sycophantfree spirit
Uninhibited, unconventional person
independent thinker · independent spirit · maverick · nonconformist · proud