Translation guide
The act of using excessive flattery or servile behavior to gain favor, often with a superior. Japanese has many nuanced expressions for this, ranging from formal terms to casual slang.
To describe the act of flattering someone in power to gain advantage, in a general sense.
Literally 'grinding sesame seeds', this is the most common and versatile term for sycophancy or brown-nosing. Can be used as a noun or verb ().
He's always brown-nosing the boss.
Flattery, often with a nuance of being insincere or excessive. Commonly used with 使う (to use flattery).
She got promoted by using flattery.
A more formal term for sycophancy or servile flattery. Often used in written or serious contexts.
I'm fed up with his sycophancy.
Literally 'drum carrier', originally referring to a professional entertainer who flatters guests. Now used figuratively for a sycophant or yes-man.
He's the president's yes-man.
To emphasize the act of lavishing praise or compliments to manipulate someone.
To pay a compliment that is not entirely sincere; flattery. A very common and neutral way to describe flattering someone.
He's always flattering his boss.
Literally 'to lift up', meaning to flatter or praise someone excessively to put them in a good mood.
A colloquial onomatopoeic verb meaning to flatter or butter up, often with a sense of effort or obviousness. Derived from the sound of lifting something heavy.
He's always sucking up to the department head.
To express sycophancy in a very casual, slangy way, often with a negative connotation.
Verb form of ごますり. The most common casual expression for sucking up.
That guy is always sucking up to the teacher.
Literally 'to wag one's tail', like a dog. Implies servile, ingratiating behavior.
Onomatopoeic for bowing repeatedly; implies obsequious, fawning behavior.
He's kowtowing to his boss.
To describe sycophancy in a more formal, literary, or technical manner.
ごますり implies a more servile, ingratiating action, often with a negative connotation of brown-nosing. お世辞 is more neutral and can simply mean a polite compliment, though it can also be insincere. お世辞を言う is often used in social situations where a little flattery is expected, while ごますり is almost always seen as manipulative.
The English word 'sycophancy' is quite formal and literary. In most everyday situations, Japanese speakers use more colloquial terms like ごますり or おべっか. Using a formal term like 阿諛 in casual conversation would sound unnatural.
He skillfully buttered her up and got on her good side.
He's wagging his tail for the powerful people.
彼は権力に媚びるような人間ではない。
He's not the kind of person who fawns over power.