a person who is too kind or shows too much respect towards somebody more important in order to gain their favour or help synonym sycophant谄媚者;马屁精 Word Originearly 19th cent.: said to be a contraction of toad-eater, a charlatan's assistant who ate toads; toads were regarded as poisonous, and the assistant's survival was thought to be due to the effects of the charlatan's remedy.