brown-nose

/ˈbraʊn nəʊz/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbraʊn nəʊz/ (ame, ipa)

brown-nose — verb

  • brown-nosepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • brown-noseshe / she / it
  • brown-nosedpast simple
  • brown-nosing-ing form

1. to be excessively friendly and complimentary toward someone who holds power or i

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

to be excessively friendly and complimentary toward someone who holds power or influence over you, because you want a personal advantage or their approval

例句

Olufemi brown-nosed his supervisor at every team meeting, hoping to be chosen for the overseas training program.

brown-nosed + direct object (supervisor / person in authority)

Mei-Lin refused to brown-nose the editor, even though it meant losing the most interesting assignments.

refuse to brown-nose + loss of advantage

同義詞
反義詞
  • defy

    openly resist or refuse to obey authority, the opposite of seeking favor

  • challenge

    question or confront rather than flatter

文法句型

brown-nose + person in authority

用法筆記

Frequently appears in progressive or gerund form (-ing). The noun 'brown-noser' refers to the person who behaves this way. This verb is informal and mildly derogatory; avoid using it in formal writing or addressing someone directly with it.

常見錯誤

❌The staff brown-nosed to the boss.
✅The staff brown-nosed the boss.
💡brown-nose is transitive and takes a direct object without any preposition.