World Languages Lexicon
10 Language-to-English DictionariesSpeichelleckerei
Pronunciation / Transliteration: ʃaɪ̯pl̩ˌlɛkəˈʁaɪ̯
"Er stieg durch reine Speichelleckerei im Unternehmen auf."
Comprehensive Definitions & Senses
2 senses- 1
The act or practice of flattering someone important or powerful in order to gain an advantage.
"His rapid promotion within the corporate ranks was widely attributed to sheer sycophancy rather than professional competence." - 2
Obsequious behavior toward those in authority.
"The committee meeting was characterized by tiresome sycophancy, with every member agreeing instantly with the director's flawed proposal."
Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum
Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology
Derived from the ancient Greek word 'sykophantēs', originally meaning 'one who shows the fig' or an informer, combining 'sykon' (fig) and 'phainein' (to show). Over centuries in English, the meaning shifted from a malicious informer or accuser to someone who flatters powerful people to gain advantage, closely mirroring the Chinese concept of 'mǎpìjīng' (马屁精).
Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Sycophancy"?
10 Global Lexicons: How "Sycophancy" is said worldwide
Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration
flagornerie
Transliteration: fla-gor-nuh-ree
"Sa flagornerie constante agaçait tous ses collègues."
Speichelleckerei
Transliteration: ʃaɪ̯pl̩ˌlɛkəˈʁaɪ̯
"Er stieg durch reine Speichelleckerei im Unternehmen auf."
sufficienza
Transliteration: sicofantia
Script: sicofantia
"La sua sicofantia verso il direttore era evidente a tutti."
pelotería
Transliteration: pe-lo-te-rí-a
"Despreciaba la pelotería de los nuevos empleados."
puxa-saquismo
Transliteration: pu-sha-sa-quis-mo
"O puxa-saquismo no escritório tornou-se insuportável."
चाटुकारिता
Transliteration: chaatukaarita
"उसकी चाटुकारिता देखकर सबको बहुत गुस्सा आया।"
马屁精
Transliteration: mǎ pì jīng
"他为了升职天天拍老板马屁，是个十足的马屁精。"
아첨
Transliteration: acheom
"그의 아첨은 상사를 불쾌하게 만들었다."
お世辞
Transliteration: oseji
"彼の過剰なお世辞には誰もがうんざりしていた。"
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