SYCOPHANT Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'sycophant' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of sycophant are leech , parasite , sponge , and toady . While all these words mean "a usually obsequious flatterer or self-seeker," sycophant adds to this a strong suggestion of fawning, flattery, or adulation. // a powerful prince surrounded by sycophants

Q: In what contexts can 'leech' take the place of 'sycophant'?

While the synonyms leech and sycophant are close in meaning, leech stresses persistence in clinging to or bleeding another for one's own advantage. // a leech living off his family and friends

Q: When is it sensible to use 'parasite' instead of 'sycophant'?

The words parasite and sycophant can be used in similar contexts, but parasite applies to one who clings to a person of wealth, power, or influence or is useless to society. // a jet-setter with an entourage of parasites

Q: When is 'sponge' a more appropriate choice than 'sycophant'?

Although the words sponge and sycophant have much in common, sponge stresses the parasitic laziness, dependence, and opportunism of the cadger. // a shiftless sponge , always looking for a handout

Q: Where would 'toady' be a reasonable alternative to 'sycophant'?

While in some cases nearly identical to sycophant , toady emphasizes the servility and snobbery of the self-seeker. // cultivated leaders of society and became their toady

sycophant 1 of 2

noun

ˈsi-kə-fənt

Definition of sycophant next

as in flunkey

a person who flatters another in order to get ahead be careful not to mistake sycophants for true friends

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

sycophant

2 of 2

adjective

as in sycophantic

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun sycophant differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of sycophant are leech, parasite, sponge, and toady. While all these words mean "a usually obsequious flatterer or self-seeker," sycophant adds to this a strong suggestion of fawning, flattery, or adulation.

a powerful prince surrounded by sycophants

In what contexts can leech take the place of sycophant?

While the synonyms leech and sycophant are close in meaning, leech stresses persistence in clinging to or bleeding another for one's own advantage.

a leech living off his family and friends

When is it sensible to use parasite instead of sycophant?

The words parasite and sycophant can be used in similar contexts, but parasite applies to one who clings to a person of wealth, power, or influence or is useless to society.

a jet-setter with an entourage of parasites

When is sponge a more appropriate choice than sycophant?

Although the words sponge and sycophant have much in common, sponge stresses the parasitic laziness, dependence, and opportunism of the cadger.

a shiftless sponge, always looking for a handout

Where would toady be a reasonable alternative to sycophant?

While in some cases nearly identical to sycophant, toady emphasizes the servility and snobbery of the self-seeker.

cultivated leaders of society and became their toady

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of sycophant

Noun

Other influencers, such as the Trump sycophant Laura Loomer, have urged their followers to disrupt the disaster agency’s efforts to help hurricane victims. —

Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2024 By that point, even Trump’s dependable online sycophant Laura Loomer worried that his campaign was fumbling. —

Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024 Being surrounded by a group of sycophants can inflate risk-taking and harm judgment. —

Nuala Walsh, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024 Samantha barfs up some black bile, and Zoe’s sycophants eat her skin at a dinner party in a bit that briefly frames her as a Christ figure but doesn’t go anywhere. —

Katie Rife, IndieWire, 12 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sycophant

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sycophant

Adjective

Its members' firm repudiation of the unqualified and clownish Matt Gaetz for attorney general shows that its members can still stiffen their sinews and summon up the courage to curb President-elect Donald Trump's appetite for surrounding himself with sycophantic boobs.

Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024
But traditional ideas about gender are proving stubborn in the virtual realm, starting with the AI assistants and their sycophantic feminine voices as well as those girls (French, tattooed, blonde) the app cooked up.

Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 27 Nov. 2024