brown-nose

brown·nose

or brown-nose (broun′nōz′)tr.v. brown·nosed, brown·nos·ing, brown·nos·es or brown-nosed or brown-nos·ing or brown-nos·es Informal To curry favor with in an obsequious manner; fawn on.

[From the image of an obsequious person whose nose becomes soiled with excrement in kissing the buttocks of someone from whom favor is sought.]

brown′nose′ n.brown′nos′er n.

brown-nose

vb to be abjectly subservient (to); curry favour (with) n an abjectly subservient person; sycophant [C20: from the notion that a subservient person kisses the backside of the person with whom he or she is currying favour]

brown′-nose`

v. -nosed, -nos•ing,
n. Slang. v.i. 1. to curry favor. v.t. 2. to seek favors from (a person) in an obsequious manner; fawn over. n. 3. Also, brown′-nos`er. a toady. [1935–40]

brown-nose

Past participle: brown-nosed
Gerund: brown-nosing

Imperative
brown-nose
brown-nose

Present
I brown-nose
you brown-nose
he/she/it brown-noses
we brown-nose
you brown-nose
they brown-nose

Preterite
I brown-nosed
you brown-nosed
he/she/it brown-nosed
we brown-nosed
you brown-nosed
they brown-nosed

Present Continuous
I am brown-nosing
you are brown-nosing
he/she/it is brown-nosing
we are brown-nosing
you are brown-nosing
they are brown-nosing

Present Perfect
I have brown-nosed
you have brown-nosed
he/she/it has brown-nosed
we have brown-nosed
you have brown-nosed
they have brown-nosed

Past Continuous
I was brown-nosing
you were brown-nosing
he/she/it was brown-nosing
we were brown-nosing
you were brown-nosing
they were brown-nosing

Past Perfect
I had brown-nosed
you had brown-nosed
he/she/it had brown-nosed
we had brown-nosed
you had brown-nosed
they had brown-nosed

Future
I will brown-nose
you will brown-nose
he/she/it will brown-nose
we will brown-nose
you will brown-nose
they will brown-nose

Future Perfect
I will have brown-nosed
you will have brown-nosed
he/she/it will have brown-nosed
we will have brown-nosed
you will have brown-nosed
they will have brown-nosed

Future Continuous
I will be brown-nosing
you will be brown-nosing
he/she/it will be brown-nosing
we will be brown-nosing
you will be brown-nosing
they will be brown-nosing

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been brown-nosing
you have been brown-nosing
he/she/it has been brown-nosing
we have been brown-nosing
you have been brown-nosing
they have been brown-nosing

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been brown-nosing
you will have been brown-nosing
he/she/it will have been brown-nosing
we will have been brown-nosing
you will have been brown-nosing
they will have been brown-nosing

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been brown-nosing
you had been brown-nosing
he/she/it had been brown-nosing
we had been brown-nosing
you had been brown-nosing
they had been brown-nosing

Conditional
I would brown-nose
you would brown-nose
he/she/it would brown-nose
we would brown-nose
you would brown-nose
they would brown-nose

Past Conditional
I would have brown-nosed
you would have brown-nosed
he/she/it would have brown-nosed
we would have brown-nosed
you would have brown-nosed
they would have brown-nosed

Thesaurus

Verb

brown-nose - flatter with the intention of getting somethingbutter upblandish, flatter - praise somewhat dishonestly

Translations

brown-nose

brownnose

1. verb To try to curry favor with someone through flattery or favors in the hopes of getting something in return. I'm not doing well at all in math this year, so it seems like brownnosing the teacher is my only hope for a good grade! Don't brownnose me with chocolates and sweet talk—just tell me what you want!2. noun One who seeks out the approval, attention, and/or support of others, especially superiors, through abject subservience, flattery, or fawning. Tim is such an obvious brownnose, always complementing the boss on her ideas and saying yes to anything she suggests.

brown-nose

1. and brownie and brown-noser n. a sycophant; one who flatters for self-serving motives. You are just a plain old brown-nose. Will some brown-noser please try to get the teacher to put off the test? 2. tv. & in. to curry favor with someone; to be a sycophant. Don keeps brown-nosing, and the professor pretends not to notice.

brown-nose

brown·nose

brown-nose

brown′-nose`

brown-nose

brown-nose

brownnose

brown-nose

brown-nose

Synonyms for brown-nose

verb flatter with the intention of getting something

Synonyms

Related Words