Now updated for CSW19. New words, if any, and new inflections of existing words, are shown in red.
backscratch | to do favours in the hope of return favours; to act obsequiously. |
backscratcher | one who backscratches. |
bootlick | to toady. |
bootlicker | a toady. |
browner | a sycophantic person. |
brownnose | (vulg.) to act sycophantically. |
brownnoser | a sycophant. |
bumsucker | (vulg.) a toady. |
bumsucking | sycophancy. |
carrytale | a sneak, a TALEBEARER. |
claque | a group of sycophants, hired to applaud. |
clawback | a flatterer or sycophant. |
clipe clype | to tell tales. |
crawler | a toady, a sycophant. |
creep | a toady, a sycophant. |
dob | to inform on or betray > DOBS, DOBBING, DOBBED. |
dobber | one who DOBS, an informer. |
fawner | one who fawns. |
fink | a strike-breaker; an informer; (verb) to inform on. |
flatter | to praise fulsomely. |
flatterer | one who flatters. |
flatterous | flattering > FLATTEROUSLY. |
flattery | the act of flattering. |
flunkey flunkie flunky | a liveried servant; (fig.) a servile person. |
flunkeydom | the state of being a FLUNKEY. |
flunkeyism | the state of being a FLUNKEY. |
flunkeyish | like a FLUNKEY. |
gnathonic | obsequious, toadying, parasitical, flattering and deceitful. [L. gnathonicus, derivative of Gnathon- (stem of Gnatho) name of a sycophantic character in the Roman comedy Eunuchus by Terence.] |
grass | an informant; (verb) to inform on. |
grasser | a grass, an informer. |
grovel | to act obsequiously > GROVELS, GROVELING or GROVELLING, GROVELED or GROVELLED. |
groveler groveller | one who grovels. |
informant informer | one who informs, tells tales. |
kotower kowtower | one who KOWTOWS, acts obsequiously > the KOTOW or KOWTOW itself is an old Chinese ceremony of touching the forehead to the ground as a gesture of deference. |
lickspit lickspittle | a fawning subordinate, a toady. |
moiser | (Yiddish) an informer. |
mouchard | (French) a police spy. |
myrmidon | an unquestioningly loyal follower > MYRMIDONS or MYRMIDONES. |
nark | a police informer; (verb) to inform on, to annoy. [Romany nak, nose]. |
obsequious | servilely ingratiating; fawning > OBSEQUIOUSLY. |
palaverer | one who palavers; a flatterer. |
peach | to sneak, to tell tales. |
peacher | one who PEACHES. |
pickthank | someone who seeks to ingratiate himself or herself by officious favours, or by talebearing |
pleaseman | an officious person who courts favor servilely > PLEASEMEN. |
proneur | (French) a flatterer. |
rat | to inform, tell tales. |
ratting | the act of informing against > RATTINGS. |
satellite | formerly, an obsequious follower or attendant. |
servile | slavish, fawning > SERVILELY; (noun) a servile person > SERVILES. |
smarmy | revealing or marked by a smug, ingratiating, or false earnestness > SMARMIER, SMARMIEST; SMARMILY. |
sneak | one who tells tales; (verb) to inform, tell tales. |
sneakeup | a SNEAK. |
sneakish | like a sneak > SNEAKISHLY. |
sneakishness | the state of being SNEAKISH. |
sneaksby | a paltry fellow; a sneak. |
sneaky | crafty > SNEAKIER, SNEAKIEST; SNEAKILY. |
snitch | the nose; (verb) to inform on. |
snitcher | one who SNITCHES, informs. |
squeaker | something that squeaks; a young bird; an informer. |
squealer | an informer. |
stoolie | a stool-pigeon, a police informer. |
suckhole | a sycophant, a toady; (verb) to act sycophantically > SUCKHOLED, SUCKHOLING. |
supergrass | a very important police informer. |
sycophant | one who attempts to gain a personal advantage by servile flattery > SYCOPHANTLY. |
talebearer | one who tells tales, a sneak. |
talebearing | the act of bearing tales. |
tattle | to gossip, tell secrets. |
tattletale | a tell-tale; (verb) to tell tales. |
telltale | a sneak, a talebearer. |
timeserver | a person who cynically or servilely suits his or her opinions to the times or those in authority for the time. |
timeserving | the action of a TIMESERVER. N.B. no verb TIMESERVE*. |
tintookie | a fawning or servile person. [From Tintookies, marionettes that appeared on Australian televison in the 1960s]. |
toadeater | a fawning, obsequious parasite. |
toady | a sycophant; (verb) to act sycophantically. |
toadyish | like a TOADY. |
toadyism | the practice of toadying. |
truckle | to act subserviently, yield to the will of another. |
truckler | one who truckles. |
yeasayer | a person who (habitually) agrees or assents. |
zany | now means a clownish or eccentric person, but used to mean a toady. |