sycophancy
noun
sy·co·phan·cy
ˈsi-kə-fən(t)-sē 
also ˈsī-,
-ˌfan(t)-
: obsequious flattery
also
: the character or behavior of a sycophant
Examples of sycophancy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The most common way users interact with AI is through chatbots, which mimic natural human conversations and are designed to be agreeable and flattering, sometimes to the point of sycophancy.
—
Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2025
Were the stakes lower, this spectacle of sycophancy might be comic.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
The study found that LLMs consistently exhibit higher rates of sycophancy — excessive agreement with or flattery of the user — than humans do.
—Emma Bowman, NPR, 5 Aug. 2025
For soft-skill matters such as advice, sycophancy in AI chatbots can be especially dangerous, Cheng said, because there's no certainty about whether its guidance is sensible.
—Emma Bowman, NPR, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sycophancy
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Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2025
Were the stakes lower, this spectacle of sycophancy might be comic.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
The study found that LLMs consistently exhibit higher rates of sycophancy — excessive agreement with or flattery of the user — than humans do.
—Emma Bowman, NPR, 5 Aug. 2025
For soft-skill matters such as advice, sycophancy in AI chatbots can be especially dangerous, Cheng said, because there's no certainty about whether its guidance is sensible.
—Emma Bowman, NPR, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sycophancy
Cite this Entry
“Sycophancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sycophancy. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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