bootlick

English

Etymology

From boot +‎ lick.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈbutˌlɪk/

Verb

bootlick (third-person singular simple present bootlicks, present participle bootlicking, simple past and past participle bootlicked)

1. (transitive, derogatory) To seek favor from by fawning, servile behavior.

   Synonyms: brownnose, butter up, kiss up; see also Thesaurus:suck up

   • 2003, Todd DePastino, Citizen Hobo: How a Century of Homelessness Shaped America, page 81:

     He had no social position to protect, no employer to bootlick.

2. (intransitive, derogatory) To engage in fawning, servile behavior.

Derived terms

• bootlicky

Related terms

• bootlicker

Translations

to seek favor from by fawning, servile behavior

Chinese: Cantonese: 擦鞋 (caat3 haai4) Polish: podlizywać się impf, podlizać się pf Turkish: çanak yalamak (tr), göt yalamak

Noun

bootlick (plural bootlicks)

1. (US, derogatory) A toady or sycophant.

   Synonyms: buttlicker, lickpot; see also Thesaurus:sycophant

   • 1838, Oasis: An Anthology to Divert an Idle Hour:

     the involving of certain "bootlicks" into difficulty