Brownnosed

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Definitions

1. To engage in excessive flattery or sycophancy towards someone in a position of authority for personal gain or acceptance
2. To fawn over or excessively praise an individual of higher status with the aim of obtaining favor or benefits
3. To act with insincere praise or excessive eagerness to please those in authority

Etymology: Before it described flattery, "brownnose" was a crude image: pressing your face against someone's backside, with "brown" alluding to excrement. The slang sense of fawning over superiors grew out of that picture, and it is still informal American English. This form is the simple past and past participle of the verb "brownnose," so it is used as a verb ("he brownnosed the manager") and as an adjective describing someone who has been flattering the powerful.

Synonyms: sycophantic, obsequious

Antonyms: independent, unsubmissive