toady

toad·y

 (tō′dē)

n. pl. toad·ies

A person who flatters or defers to others for self-serving reasons; a sycophant.

tr. & intr.v. toad·ied, toad·y·ing, toad·ies

To be a toady to or behave like a toady. See Synonyms at fawn¹.

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[From toad.]

Word History: The first toadies were actually toad-eaters. The word toady has its origins in the practices of seventeenth-century quacks and charlatans who claimed that they could draw out poisons from poisoning victims. Toads were thought to be poisonous, and so these quacks would have an attendant eat—or pretend to eat—a toad. The quacks could then make a show of drawing out the poison and saving their helpers' lives. Since eating a toad is an unpleasant job, these attendants came to epitomize the type of person who would do anything for a superior, and toadeater became the name for a flattering, fawning parasite. In the eighteenth century, the noun toadeating meaning "sycophancy, flattery," appeared, and there was even a verb to toadeat, meaning "to flatter, fawn upon." For example, the correspondence of Caroline Fox, Lady Holland (1723-1774), contains the following comment in a letter to her sister, the Duchess of Leinster: She [a family member] has told Lord Holland all the privileges the old Duchess expects. He says you have them all already, you are so toad-eated. Later, in the nineteenth century, the word toady, "sycophant, flatterer," came into use, and it was apparently formed directly from the word toad rather than shortened from toadeater.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

toady

(ˈtəʊdɪ)

n, pl toadies

a person who flatters and ingratiates himself or herself in a servile way; sycophant

vb, toadies, toadying or toadied

to fawn on and flatter (someone)

[C19: shortened from toadeater]

ˈtoadyish adj

ˈtoadyism n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

toad•y

(ˈtoʊ di)

n., pl. toad•ies, n.

1. an obsequious flatterer; sycophant.

v.i.

2. to be a toady.

[1820–30; toad (eater) + -y²]

toad′y•ish, adj.

toad′y•ism, n.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

toady

Past participle: toadied
Gerund: toadying

Imperative

toady

toady

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	toady - a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage ass-kisser, crawler, sycophant, lackey apple polisher, bootlicker, fawner, groveler, groveller, truckler - someone who humbles himself as a sign of respect; who behaves as if he had no self-respect adulator, flatterer - a person who uses flattery goody-goody - a person who behaves extremely well in order to please a superior
Verb	1.	toady - try to gain favor by cringing or flattering; "He is always kowtowing to his boss" bootlick, kotow, kowtow, fawn, truckle, suck up blandish, flatter - praise somewhat dishonestly court favor, court favour, curry favor, curry favour - seek favor by fawning or flattery; "This employee is currying favor with his superordinates"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

toady

noun

1. sycophant, creep (slang), hanger-on, minion, flunkey, parasite, fawner, jackal, spaniel, lackey, crawler (slang), yes man, brown-noser (taboo slang), flatterer, truckler, lickspittle, ass-kisser (U.S. & Canad. taboo slang), apple polisher (U.S. slang), groveller, bootlicker (informal) Life was too short to become a toady to a megalomaniac.

verb

1. fawn on, flatter, grovel, creep, crawl, cringe, pander to, suck up to (informal), curry favour with, butter up, kiss someone's ass (U.S. & Canad. taboo slang), brown-nose (taboo slang), kowtow to, bow and scrape, lick someone's boots, kiss the feet of, lick someone's arse (taboo slang), be obsequious to They came backstage, cooing and toadying to him.
fawn on oppose, rebel, resist, confront, defy, withstand, stand against

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

toady

noun

One who flatters another excessively:

adulator, courtier, flatterer, sycophant.

Informal: apple-polisher.

verb

To support slavishly every opinion or suggestion of a superior:

bootlick, cringe, fawn, grovel, kowtow, slaver, truckle.

Informal: apple-polish, brownnose, cotton.

Slang: suck up.

Idioms: curry favor, dance attendance, kiss someone's feet, lick someone's boots.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

lameculos

leccapiediadulatore

подлиза

toady

[ˈtəʊdɪ] (pej)

A. N → adulador(a) m/f, pelotilla mf inv, pelota mf

B. VI to toady to sb → adular or hacer la pelotilla a algn, dar coba a algn

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

toady

[ˈtəʊdi] vi
to toady to sb → flatter qn

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

toady

n (pej) → Kriecher(in) m(f), → Speichellecker(in) m(f)

vi → Rad fahren (pej inf); to toady to somebody → vor jdm kriechen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

toady

[ˈtəʊdɪ] (pej)

1. n → leccapiedi m/f inv

2. vi to toady to sb → leccare i piedi a qn

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995