Pronunciation: [sˈɪkɒfənts] (IPA) 
The word "sycophants" is spelled with a silent "p" and pronounced /ˈsɪkəfænts/. The "s" is voiced, and the "y" is pronounced as a consonant sound /j/. The "o" is pronounced as a short "i" sound /ɪ/, and the "ph" is pronounced as an "f" sound /f/. The final "ants" is pronounced as "ants" /ænts/. "Sycophants" is a noun that describes a person who flatters or seeks favor from someone in power for personal gain.
Sycophants, noun:
Sycophants are people who excessively flatter or praise others, usually in order to gain favor, win privileges, or manipulate them for personal gain. This term refers to individuals who engage in insincere and exaggerated adulation, often for self-serving purposes, rather than genuine admiration or respect. Sycophants tend to be ingratiating and subservient, consistently praising and placating those in positions of power or influence.
They often employ flattery as a means to ingratiate themselves with powerful individuals, seeking to advance their own interests, career aspirations, or social standing. Sycophants display a remarkable ability to adapt their opinions and beliefs to align with those of the influential person they are attempting to please. Such individuals may lack integrity or independent judgment, as their primary motivation is to curry favor rather than express genuine thoughts or beliefs.
Sycophantic behavior can contribute to an unhealthy and unbalanced power dynamic, as it feeds the egos of those in authority. This can lead to a distorted sense of reality, where the sycophant's exaggerated praise and constant agreement enable the powerful individual to make decisions without robust critique or dissenting perspectives.
While sycophantic behavior can sometimes achieve short-term gains for the individual engaging in it, it often fosters an environment of insincerity and insubstantial relationships. The term "sycophant" often carries a negative connotation, suggesting an individual who lacks authenticity, integrity, and independent thought, using flattery as a means to selfishly manipulate others.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "sycophant" originates from the Greek words "sukophantēs" and "sukophantia". These terms were formed by combining the Greek words "sykon" (meaning "fig") and "phainein" (meaning "to show" or "to reveal"). In ancient Athens, one possible explanation is that figs were used as a symbol of forbidden goods or valuable evidence in legal cases. According to this theory, a sycophant would be someone who falsely accused others of smuggling figs or other contraband, using this as a means to gain favors or extort money. Over time, the term evolved to refer to a person who flattered, manipulated, or betrayed others to gain advantage or favor with those in power.
