apple-polish
verb
ap·ple-pol·ish ˈa-pəl-ˌpä-lish 
apple-polished; apple-polishing; apple-polishes
intransitive verb
: to attempt to ingratiate oneself : toady
transitive verb
: to curry favor with (as by flattery)
apple-polisher noun
Synonyms
- bootlick
- fawn
- fuss
- kowtow
- suck (up)
- toady
- truckle
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Word History
Etymology
from the traditional practice of schoolchildren bringing a shiny apple as a gift to their teacher
First Known Use
1926, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
apple-polishing
verb
as in currying favor
to use flattery or the doing of favors in order to win approval especially from a superior a departmental supervisor who apple-polishes shamelessly whenever higher-ups are about Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- currying favor
- fussing
- truckling
- drooling
- kowtowing
- fawning
- kissing up to
- toadying
- bootlicking
- courting
- submitting
- deferring
- sucking (up)
- blandishing
- endearing
- ingratiating
- wooing
- slavering
- gushing
- slobbering
- worshipping
- coaxing
- cringing
- flattering
- worshiping
- soft-soaping
- cajoling
- cowering
- idolizing
- adulating
- yielding
- demeaning
- groveling
- overpraising
- debasing
- grovelling
- abasing
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- despising
- disdaining
- scorning
- challenging
- jeering
- gibing
- scoffing
- defying
- jibing
- braving
- hydrocharitaceous
- hydrochinon
- hydrochinone
- hydrochloric acid
- hydrochloride
- hydrochlorides
- hydrochlorinate
- hydrochlorination
- hydrochlorofluorocarbon
- hydrochlorothiazide
- hydrochlorothiazides
- hydrochoeri
- hydrochoeridaes
- Hydrochoerus
- hydrochoeruses
- hydrochoerusses
- hydrochore
- hydrochory
- hydrocinchonine
- hydrocinnamaldehyde
- hydrocinnamic acid
- hydrocladia
- hydrocladium
- hydroclastic
- Hydrocleis