Brown Nose

Pronunciation: /braʊn noʊz/

Definitions of brown nose

noun a person who behaves obsequiously to someone in authority

Example Sentences

A1 My coworker is a brown nose and always tries to impress the boss.

A2 The brown nose in the office is constantly seeking approval from higher-ups.

B1 It's frustrating to work with a brown nose who is always sucking up to management.

B2 The brown nose's behavior of constantly flattering the boss is getting on everyone's nerves.

C1 The brown nose's insincere flattery towards the CEO is transparent to everyone in the company.

C2 The brown nose's sycophantic behavior has earned them a reputation as a manipulative opportunist.

verb to seek favor by fawning or flattery

Example Sentences

A1 He is always brown nosing the boss to try to get a promotion.

A2 She brown noses her teachers in hopes of getting better grades.

B1 The employee was caught brown nosing the manager in order to get special treatment.

B2 The politician was accused of brown nosing the wealthy donors for campaign contributions.

C1 The journalist was criticized for brown nosing the government officials in her reporting.

C2 The CEO was known for brown nosing the board members to secure their support for his decisions.

Examples of brown nose in a Sentence

formal It is unprofessional to brown nose in the workplace in order to gain favor with the boss.

informal Stop brown nosing the teacher just to get a better grade.

slang I can't stand people who brown nose their way to the top.

figurative She always brown noses her way into getting what she wants.

Grammatical Forms of brown nose

• past tense: brown nosed
• plural: brown noses
• comparative: more brown-nosed
• superlative: most brown-nosed
• present tense: brown noses
• future tense: will brown nose
• perfect tense: has brown nosed
• continuous tense: is brown nosing
• singular: brown nose
• positive degree: brown nose
• infinitive: to brown nose
• gerund: brown nosing
• participle: brown nosed

Origin and Evolution of brown nose

First Known Use: 1939 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The origin of the term 'brown nose' is believed to come from the act of literally kissing up to someone in a servile manner, which could result in one's nose becoming brown from being in close proximity to the other person's posterior.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the term 'brown nose' has evolved to refer to someone who excessively flatters or ingratiates themselves to gain favor or advancement, often in a derogatory sense.