sycophantically
With excessive flattery
In a manner that seeks favor through excessive flattery or servile attention to someone powerful.
The word implies insincerity—praising not from genuine admiration but to gain advantage: He laughed sycophantically at the boss's terrible jokes.
The adverb carries strong disapproval, suggesting the person has sacrificed dignity for self-interest.
With servile flattery
- servilelyIn subservient manner
- obsequiouslyWith servile flattery
- ingratiatinglyIn an approval-seeking way
- unctuouslyIn a slippery, fawning way
subserviently · slavishly · grovelingly · deferentially · smarmily · flatteringly · cringingly · compliantly
Obsequious flatterer seeking favor
- bootlickerServile flatterer of superiors
- flattererOne dispensing insincere praise
- yes-manUncritical agreeable subordinate
- brownnoserServile flatterer seeking favor
apple-polisher · groveler · suck-up · crawler · lackey · minion · courtier · hanger-on
fawningly
With servile flattery
- servilelyIn subservient manner
- obsequiouslyWith servile flattery
- ingratiatinglyIn an approval-seeking way
unctuously · subserviently · slavishly · grovelingly · deferentially · smarmily · flatteringly · cringingly · compliantly · submissively
toady
Obsequious flatterer seeking favor
- bootlickerServile flatterer of superiors
- flattererOne dispensing insincere praise
- yes-manUncritical agreeable subordinate
brownnoser · apple-polisher · groveler · suck-up · crawler · lackey · minion · courtier · hanger-on · doormat
sycophanticallysincerely
With genuine feeling
genuinely · honestly · authentically · earnestly · truthfully
sycophanticallydefiantly
In open resistance
independently · rebelliously · assertively · boldly · proudly
sycophanticallybluntly
Speaking without diplomacy
forthrightly · frankly · critically · plainly · directly