a person who praises important or powerful people too much and in a way that is not sincere, especially in order to get something from them 阿谀奉承的人;谄媚者;拍马者 Word Originmid 16th cent. (denoting an informer): from French sycophante, or via Latin from Greek sukophantēs ‘informer’, from sukon ‘fig’ + phainein ‘to show’, perhaps with reference to making the insulting gesture of the “fig” (sticking the thumb between two fingers) to informers.