Sycophant is a fancy word to describe a person who tries to win favour over an important or authoritative figure. They are also known as brown nosers or suck-ups.
Being a supporter may sometimes be mistaken as a sycophant but there are characteristics. According to www.psychologytoday.com they are:
Opinion conformity: The sycophant will imitate your tastes so they can have something in common.
Self-promotion: “This happens often in the workplace where the suck-ups promote themselves unceasingly to impress the boss”
Kiss up, kick down: A toxic sycophant or brown nose people with higher status will abuse the people they believe who have less power and status than they do.
Read more on www.psychologytoday.com
WATCH: 5 ways to spot a brown noser