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Word page
Lickspittle
In plain English, a lickspittle is a groveling flatterer who tries to please powerful people. This unusual word appears in Silly Insults and Character Types and is worth knowing for readers searching for meaning, pronunciation, origin, usage, and example sentences.
How to say it
Meaning in plain English
In plain English, a lickspittle is a groveling flatterer who tries to please powerful people.
Why this word feels absurd
Lickspittle feels absurd because the image is so humiliatingly vivid that the insult almost seems too grotesque to be real.
Origin and history
The word has long been used in English as a scornful insult for sycophants and self-abasing followers. Its harsh imagery gives it unusual force even today.
Is this word still used today?
Yes. Lickspittle is still used today and remains easy to understand in modern English.
Example sentences
- The editorial dismissed him as a lickspittle for the wealthy and well-connected.
- Shakespearean villains often surround themselves with lickspittles and informers.
- She refused to become a corporate lickspittle just to earn a promotion.
When should you use this word?
Use Lickspittle when you want something more vivid, distinctive, or precise than a flatter everyday alternative. It works best in writing that welcomes color and voice.
Similar words
Agitator, Backbiter, Berk, Lalochezia, Lapwing
Opposite or contrasting words
gentleman, decent person, model of manners
Common questions
- What does lickspittle mean? A servile flatterer; a toady
- How do you pronounce lickspittle? It is commonly pronounced lik-spit-ul.
- Is lickspittle a real English word? Yes. Lickspittle is a real English word or established term in English usage.
- Is lickspittle still used today? Today, lickspittle appears mostly in opinion writing, satire, and historical or literary language when ordinary terms like toady feel too mild.
- What words are similar to lickspittle? toady, sycophant, flatterer.