Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1500-1600
Language: Latin
Origin: sycophanta 'someone who tells about the bad actions of another, flatterer', from Greek sykophantes, from sykon 'fig' + phainein 'to show'

sycophant

 noun
     
syc‧o‧phant [countable]
formal someone who praises powerful people too much because they want to get something from them - used in order to show disapproval:
a dictator surrounded by sycophants
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
Dictionary pictures of the day
Do you know what each of these is called?
What is the word for picture 1? What is the word for picture 2? What is the word for picture 3? What is the word for picture 4?
Click on any of the pictures above to find out what it is called.

Explore our topic dictionary

Browse the dictionary