lickspittle

noun

lick·​spit·​tle ˈlik-ˌspi-tᵊl How to pronounce lickspittle (audio)
Synonyms of lickspittlenext
: a fawning subordinate : toady

Synonyms

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Examples of lickspittle in a Sentence

a partisan news program whose host is more of a lickspittle for the White House than a serious journalist
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Republican lickspittles like Lindsey Graham and Jim Banks praised Trump and trashed Zelenskyy while Russian leaders rejoiced. — Maureen Dowd, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2025 Of course, being a junior senator and attaching your name to legislation that has little chance of being enacted—none of those have bills passed—is very different from being Vice-President and chief lickspittle to Trump. — John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 22 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lickspittle was in 1825

Rhymes for lickspittle

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lickspittle
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Cite this Entry

“Lickspittle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lickspittle. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

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