toady; flatterer; sycophant
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesnoun
sycophant; toady; a person who flatters and slanders others
literaryA formal, literary term describing a person who engages in both flattery and backbiting for personal gain. Combines two negative behaviors: 谄 (flattery) and 佞 (sycophancy/calumny).
Cháo朝
zhōng中
chǎn谄
nìng佞
dāng当
dào道
，
zhōng忠
chén臣
nán难
yǒu有
zuò作
wéi为
。
With sycophants in power at court, loyal ministers found it hard to accomplish anything.
Tā他
wéi为
rén人
zhèng正
zhí直
，
zuì最
bǐ鄙
shì视
nà那
xiē些
chǎn谄
nìng佞
xiǎo小
rén人
。
He is an upright person and despises those toadying scoundrels the most.
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Lì历
shǐ史
shàng上
，
xǔ许
duō多
wáng王
cháo朝
de的
shuāi衰
bài败
dōu都
shǐ始
yú于
jūn君
wáng王
tīng听
xìn信
chǎn谄
nìng佞
zhī之
yán言
。
Historically, the decline of many dynasties began when the ruler heeded the words of flatterers.