toadying
Groveling for favor
Toadying is excessive flattery or servile behavior toward someone in a position of power, hoping to gain favor.
The word evokes someone crouching and fawning: His toadying to the boss was embarrassing to watch.
Related to toady, originally a charlatan's assistant who pretended to eat toads to demonstrate fake cures.
Demeaning self-abasement before another
- cringingShrinking in discomfort
- bowingBending forward in deference
- scrapingRubbing away material
- kowtowingSubmissive display of respect
genuflecting · prostrating · cowering · fawning · simpering · wheedling · truckling · crawling
Excessive insincere flattery
- ingratiationDeliberate favor-seeking behavior
- adulationExtravagant, servile praise
- sycophancyObsequious behavior toward authority
- obsequiousnessServile eagerness to please
sweet-talk · soft-soap · apple-polishing · bootlicking · brown-nosing · kowtowing · blandishment · cajolery
Servile praise-giver
- bootlickerServile flatterer of superiors
- yes-manUncritical agreeable subordinate
- brown-noserOne who flatters superiors
- flattererOne dispensing insincere praise
fawner · groveler · lackey · flunkey · minion · hanger-on · ass-kisser · lapdog
groveling
Demeaning self-abasement before another
kowtowing · genuflecting · prostrating · cowering · fawning · simpering · wheedling · truckling · crawling · sniveling
fawning
Excessive insincere flattery
- ingratiationDeliberate favor-seeking behavior
- adulationExtravagant, servile praise
- sycophancyObsequious behavior toward authority
obsequiousness · sweet-talk · soft-soap · apple-polishing · bootlicking · brown-nosing · kowtowing · blandishment · cajolery · smarm
sycophant
Servile praise-giver
- bootlickerServile flatterer of superiors
- yes-manUncritical agreeable subordinate
- brown-noserOne who flatters superiors
flatterer · fawner · groveler · lackey · flunkey · minion · hanger-on · ass-kisser · lapdog · doormat
- flatteryflatter, praise, flattery, compliment, compliments
- praiselauding, compliments, laudation, accolades, great job
- sycophancyfawning, groveling, kowtowing, brown-nosing, flattering
- schmoozingschmooze, schmoozing, hobnobbing, glad-handing, mingling
- persuasionpersuade, persuasion, persuasive, convince, convincing
- submission gestureskowtow, genuflection, genuflect, genuflecting, prostration
toadyingdefiant
Openly resisting control
rebellious · insubordinate · assertive · independent · self-respecting
toadyingcandid
Honest and direct
blunt · forthright · honest · sincere · frank
toadyingdefiance
Open resistance to authority
insubordination · rebelliousness · assertiveness · standing up · defying