SYCOPHANCY Synonyms: 39 Similar and Opposite Words

sycophancy

noun

Definition of sycophancy

as in fawning

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of sycophancy Layering advertising incentives on top of sycophancy produces a system primed to flatter users. — William J. Brady, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2026 The suit also criticizes ChatGPT’s propensity to agree with users, arguing that the service’s sycophancy can lead users to develop dangerous psychological attachment to the platform and cause users to pay money to unlock more generous usage quotas. — Jared Perlo, NBC news, 1 June 2026 That April, OpenAI also rolled back an update to ChatGPT that the company said made the GPT-4o model overly flattering and agreeable, known as sycophancy. — Lauren Fichten, CBS News, 28 May 2026 That’s the kind of conflict that has already led to frequent debates over how best to tune models to be agreeable and non-toxic without slipping into outright sycophancy by being relentlessly positive. — ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for sycophancy

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sycophancy

Noun

Experts say that fawning is a stress response that some teens use to appease the people around them.

— Sherri Gordon, Parents, 5 July 2026
The fawning didn’t get him very far.

— Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026

Definition of fawning

Noun

His death sparked an outpouring of adoration from his Sopranos’ castmates, among others.

— Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 1 Aug. 2026
One, a delight for the kitchen — the pressure, the camaraderie, the artist's heart, the pirate's adoration of heat and knives — and, another, hard drugs.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026

Definition of adoration

Noun

But this facial gallery closed with the Western Roman Empire and the rise of Christianity, which inherited a suspicion of idolatry from the Old Testament and Judaism.

— Cal Revely-Calder, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
The usual claims of occult idolatry, the sensitivity of children’s virgin eyes, and the fear of nurturing serial killers were at the heart of the debates, which had some comparing Schwartz to Jeffrey Dahmer and were only further accelerated by the intense graphics of illustrator Stephen Gammell.

— SPIN Team, SPIN, 22 June 2026

Definition of idolatry

Noun

As was the case with the white-and-green dress for her Pakistan tour, Elizabeth, in her fashion choices, sought not only to avoid giving offense but to offer symbolic ingratiation, and among the most fascinating garments on display are those representing diplomatic dressing.

— Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026
Each chapter discusses a specific sales element, which includes such topics as goal setting, prospecting, ingratiation and listening tactics, empathy and much more.

— Larry D. Urish, Oc Register, 30 Jan. 2026

Definition of ingratiation

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sybaritism

sycophancy

sycophant

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“Sycophancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sycophancy. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of sycophancy

noun

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