sycophancy
pronunciation
How to pronounce sycophancy in British English:
UK ['sɪkəfənsɪ]
How to pronounce sycophancy in American English:
US [ˈsɪkəfənsi, ˈsaɪkə-]
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- Noun:
- fawning obsequiousness
Word Origin
- sycophancy (n.)
- 1620s, from sycophant + -cy, or else from Latin sycophantia, from Greek sykophantia "false accusation, slander; conduct of a sycophant," from sykophantes.
Example
- 1. Sycophancy was the device of the least trustworthy .
- 2. But meritocracy has been eroded by a political culture of sycophancy and cynicism .
- 3. Last week the party 's members of the national assembly pledged their loyalty to him in an atmosphere of competitive sycophancy .
- 4. He was free of all sycophancy or obsequiousness in the face of the reactionary ruling class .
- 5. Of course , it all has to be done well ; sycophancy and flat jokes do not weave the same spell .