leccaculo

sycophant, brown-noser

noun lek-kah-KOO-loh Rare

Usage Note

Leccaculo is a vulgar compound noun from leccare (to lick) + culo (backside), meaning a shameless flatterer or yes-man. It is invariable in the plural: i leccaculo. Despite its crude etymology it is very commonly heard in informal Italian and carries roughly the same weight as English 'ass-kisser.' A milder synonym is lecchino. Avoid in formal or professional settings.

Examples

"Quel collega è un leccaculo con il capo."

Natural Translation

That colleague is a total brown-noser with the boss.

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