sycophant

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• /ˈsɪkəfænt/
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• /ˈsɪkəfənt/
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• /ˈsaɪkəfænt/
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• /ˈsaɪkəfənt/
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First attested in 1537. From Latin sȳcophanta (“informer, trickster”), from Ancient Greek συκοφάντης (sukophántēs), itself from σῦκον (sûkon, “fig”) + φαίνω (phaínō, “to show, demonstrate”). The gesture of "showing the fig" was a vulgar one, which was made by sticking the thumb between two fingers, a display which vaguely resembles a fig, which is itself symbolic of a σῦκον (sûkon), which also meant vulva. The story behind this etymology is that politicians in ancient Greece steered clear of displaying that vulgar gesture, but secretly urged their followers to taunt their opponents by using it. Cognate with Italian sicofante, Spanish sicofanta.

126 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Afrikaans: beroepsverklikker — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Afrikaans: sikofant — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Arabic: مُتَمَلِّق ذَلِيل (mutamalliq ḏalīl) — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Armenian: պնակալեզ (pnakalez) — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Armenian: քծնող (kʻcnoġ) — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Azerbaijani: yaltaq — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Bengali: খয়ের খাঁ (khoẏer khã) — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Bengali: চামচা (camca) — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Bulgarian: подлизурко (podlizurko) — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Bulgarian: подмазвач (podmazvač) — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Bulgarian: мазник (maznik) — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Catalan: sicofanta — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Chinese Cantonese: 擦鞋仔 (caat3 haai4 zai2) — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Chinese Cantonese: 擦鞋狗 (caat3 haai4 gau2) — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Chinese Mandarin: 巴兒狗 /巴儿狗 (bārgǒu) — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Czech: patolízal — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Czech: pochlebovač — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Danish: spytslikker — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Danish: rygklapper — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Danish: røvslikker — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Danish: sykofant — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Danish: hofsnog — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Danish: øjentjener — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Dutch: gatlikker — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Dutch: kontlikker — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Dutch: kruiper — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Dutch: pluimstrijker — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Dutch: bruinwerker — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Dutch: vleier — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Dutch: hielenlikker — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Esperanto: flatisto — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Esperanto: flatulo — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Esperanto: ĝentilaĉulo — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Estonian: takkakiitja — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Estonian: pealekaebaja — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Finnish: hännystelijä — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Finnish: mielistelijä — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Finnish: imartelija — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Finnish: perseennuolija — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Finnish: nuoleskelija — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• French: flagorneur — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• French: lèche-bottes — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• French: lèche-cul — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Galician: candongueiro — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Galician: compangón — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Galician: gaioleiro — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Galician: lambecús — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Galician: labiantón — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Galician: louvamiñeiro — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Galician: lambespiñas — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Galician: mingamona — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Galician: panxolas — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Galician: paraxismeiro — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Galician: blandicioso — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Galician: boriante — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Galician: trasloeiro — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Galician: cirigaitas — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Galician: aleimador — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Galician: gariteiro — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• German: Kriecher — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• German: Schmeichler — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• German: Speichellecker — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• German: Schleimer — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Greek: κόλακας (kólakas) — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Greek: συκοφάντης (sykofántis) — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Hebrew: חנפן (khanfán) — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Hungarian: talpnyaló — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Icelandic: smjaðrari — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Icelandic: höfðingjasleikja — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Icelandic: undirlægja — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Indonesian: penjilat — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Italian: ruffiano — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Italian: delatore — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Italian: leccaculo — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Italian: adulatore — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Italian: sicofante — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Italian: leccapiedi — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Japanese: ごますり (gomasuri) — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Latin: assecula — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Lithuanian: pataikūnas — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Macedonian: подлизурко (podlizurko) — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Malay: pengampu — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Maltese: lagħqi — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Manx: foalserey — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Norwegian: spyttslikker — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Norwegian: spyttsleiker — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Pashto: چاپلوس (čāplus) — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Pashto: چاپلوسه (čāplusa) — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Persian: چاپلوس (čâplus) — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Persian: خایهمال (xâye-mâl) — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Polish: pochlebca — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Polish: cmokier — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Polish: lizus — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Portuguese: sicofanta — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Portuguese: bajulador — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Portuguese: adulador — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Portuguese: lambe-botas — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Portuguese: puxa-saco — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Portuguese: assecla — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Punjabi: ਚਮਚਾ (camcā) — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Romanian: lingău — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Romanian: pupincurist — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Russian: льстец (lʹstec) — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Russian: подхали́м (podxalím) — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Russian: лизоблю́д (lizobljúd) — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Russian: подли́за (podlíza) — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Scots: kiss-ma-luif — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Scottish Gaelic: sodalaiche — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Serbo-Croatian: улизица — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Serbo-Croatian: ulizica — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Spanish: sicofanta — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Spanish: sicofante — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Spanish: pelota — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Spanish: pelotillero — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Spanish: acomedido — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Spanish: barbero — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Swedish: smickrare — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Swedish: sykofant — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Swedish: lismare — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Swedish: knähund — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Tagalog: sipsip — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Turkish: dalkavuk — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Vietnamese: nịnh hót — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Walloon: platchteu — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Walloon: flabåd — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person
• Welsh: gwenieithwr — one who uses compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another person