Brown-nosing

Brown-nosing is the act of excessively flattering or ingratiating oneself to someone in authority, typically for personal gain, such as a promotion, favor, or simply to avoid negative consequences. It involves expressing exaggerated admiration, agreement, or deference, often insincerely, to gain the approval of a superior. This behavior can manifest through excessive praise, offering unsolicited assistance, or agreeing with everything the authority figure says, regardless of personal opinion. The term implies a lack of genuine respect and a manipulative intention to exploit the relationship for selfish advantages. It's a common workplace phenomenon and a social behavior often perceived as insincere and even irritating by colleagues.

Brown-nosing meaning with examples

• At the office, Michael constantly heaped praise on his manager, volunteering for every unpleasant task and agreeing with every suggestion, even absurd ones. This blatant brown-nosing was designed to secure a promotion, but it alienated his coworkers. He'd constantly say things like, 'That's a brilliant idea, boss!' and 'I completely agree with your insightful strategy,' whenever the manager spoke, regardless of how practical the words actually were.
• Sarah's brown-nosing was evident when she brought her professor coffee and excessively complimented his research, even though she secretly found it dry. She hoped this would help her get a better grade on her final exam and possibly a recommendation letter for graduate school. Her classmates often saw her fawning over the professor and felt she was undermining her colleagues by gaining favor.
• During the political debate, the candidate's advisor engaged in blatant brown-nosing, constantly praising his speeches and quickly agreeing to all his ideas to appear loyal. This sycophantic behavior was designed to maintain his position and influence within the campaign. He'd tell the candidate how amazing they were in every moment, even if the speech was not well-received by the crowd, he would still heap praise on it.
• The intern quickly realized the key to success in the company was brown-nosing the CEO. He constantly offered to fetch coffee, bring snacks, and compliment his outfit. He would be the first one in the office and the last one to leave, even when he wasn't required to work. The CEO responded well to the behaviors but it annoyed many other long-term employees who felt the intern had not earned their position.
• The student always made a point of agreeing with the teacher and bringing gifts to earn better marks. He was very aware that this was brown-nosing but it worked in the past. In his class the student was very active and would always raise his hand and respond to the teacher even if he did not know the answer. Other students would often roll their eyes whenever he would speak.