yes-men
Obsequious staff members
Yes-men is the plural of yes-man—a person who agrees with everything a superior says, offering approval rather than honest opinion.
The term is dismissive, implying sycophancy or lack of backbone: He surrounded himself with yes-men who never challenged his ideas.
Yes-men tell you what you want to hear, not what you need to hear.
Servile flatterer of superiors
- toadyObsequious flatterer seeking favor
- brownnoserServile flatterer seeking favor
- fawnerOne who flatters servilely
- lickspittleServile flatterer seeking favor
apple-polisher · suck-up · groveler · flatterer · adulator · lackey · flunky · minion
Yielding to others' wishes
- docileEasily controlled or taught
- obedientFollowing commands willingly
- acquiescentAccepting without resistance
- deferentialShowing humble submission
subservient · servile · meek · biddable · dutiful · tractable · obeisant · yielding
Controlled performing figure
- pawnUnwitting tool of another
- toolDevice for a task
- patsyEasily deceived victim
- cat's-pawOne manipulated by another
mouthpiece · figurehead · proxy · instrument · dupe · gullible · impressionable · malleable
One lower in rank
- underlingPerson of lower rank
- henchmanLoyal criminal subordinate
- aideSupporting staff member
- assistantOne who aids another
lieutenant · deputy · functionary · apparatchik · bureaucrat · loyalist · operative · enabler
bootlicker
Servile flatterer of superiors
- toadyObsequious flatterer seeking favor
- brownnoserServile flatterer seeking favor
- fawnerOne who flatters servilely
lickspittle · apple-polisher · suck-up · groveler · flatterer · adulator · lackey · flunky · minion · stooge
compliant
Yielding to others' wishes
- docileEasily controlled or taught
- obedientFollowing commands willingly
- acquiescentAccepting without resistance
deferential · subservient · servile · meek · biddable · dutiful · tractable · obeisant · yielding · unresisting
puppet
Controlled performing figure
cat's-paw · mouthpiece · figurehead · proxy · instrument · dupe · gullible · impressionable · malleable · pliable
subordinate
One lower in rank
assistant · lieutenant · deputy · functionary · apparatchik · bureaucrat · loyalist · operative · enabler · insider
- office politicsoffice politics, backstabbing, power plays, favoritism, nepotism
- sycophantssycophant, sycophants, toady, toadies, bootlicker
- admirersfans, devotees, followers, enthusiasts, admirers
- conformityconformity, conforming, conform, conformist, conformism
- easy targetssuckers, dupes, marks, patsies, rubes
- inner circlesinner circle, inner ring, inner sanctum, in-group, ingroup
yes-mendissenters
Opponents of prevailing views
contrarians · naysayers · devil's advocates · mavericks · freethinkers
yes-menfreethinkers
Independent-minded questioners of orthodoxy
free spirits · nonconformists · iconoclasts · mavericks · lone wolves
yes-mentruth-tellers
Those who state facts
straight shooters · honest brokers · whistleblowers · naysayers · critics