Definition

Verb: * To attempt to gain favor or advantage from someone, especially a superior, through excessive, obvious, and often insincere flattery and servile behavior.

Usage

This verb describes the action of using exaggerated praise, agreement, or subservience to win someone's approval, typically for personal gain. It is a critical and informal term, implying the behavior is transparently self-serving and undignified. * It is often used in workplace or hierarchical contexts (e.g., with a boss, teacher, or person in authority). * It is considered a pejorative (negative and insulting) term for the person performing the action.

Examples

• He's always brown-nosing the manager, hoping for a promotion.
• Stop brown-nosing! The professor isn't going to change your grade just because you agree with everything she says.
• She was accused of brown-nosing her way to the top.

Advanced Usage

• Gerund/Noun Form ("brown-nosing"): The activity or practice of flattering for gain.
  • His constant brown-nosing made his colleagues dislike him.
• Agent Noun ("brown-noser"): A person who brown-noses.
  • Don't be such a brown-noser.

Variants and Related Words

• Suck up (to) (phrasal verb, informal): A very common synonym with the same meaning and negative connotation.
• Bootlick (verb, informal): To behave in a servile manner.
• Fawn (over) (verb): To flatter and praise excessively, but with a slightly less harsh connotation than "brown-nose."
• Kowtow (to) (verb): To act in an excessively submissive way, originating from a Chinese custom of bowing deeply.

Synonyms

• Flatter obsequiously
• Be sycophantic
• Toady
• Curry favor

Related Phrasal Verbs/Idioms

• Play up to someone: To try to gain favor by flattering or pleasing someone.
• Butter someone up: To flatter someone, especially to prepare them to be asked a favor.

Verb

1. flatter with the intention of getting something