Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A person who flatters or defers to others for self-serving reasons; a sycophant.
- transitive & intransitive verb To be a toady to or behave like a toady. synonym: fawn.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Ugly and repulsive like a toad; hateful; beastly.
- noun A sycophant; an interested flatterer; a toad-eater.
- noun A coarse rustic woman.
- To fawn upon in a servile manner; play the toady or sycophant to. The tutors toadied him.
- To play the sycophant; fawn; cringe.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb To fawn upon with mean sycophancy.
- noun A mean flatterer; a toadeater; a sycophant.
- noun rare A coarse, rustic woman.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A
sycophant whoflatters others togain personal advantage . - verb intransitive To
behave like a toady (to someone).
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage
- verb try to gain favor by cringing or flattering
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Apparently Brian Kilmeade, the toady, is taking the words of Roger Ailes to heart and wants to secure his job.
Think Progress » VIDEO: Sen. Levin and Fox Anchor in On-Air Scuffle Over Iraq Plan 2006
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That quote doesn’t work if the person delivering the message is a toady from the opposition.
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I is teh pryvayte doody nurse aka toady and slave fer Teh Dawter, who is having teh yooyooal post-surgery paynes.
Bambi, - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? 2008
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Harshman ...) within crown-Bufonidae, and outside the enormous clade that includes all of the more familiar, more, err, 'toady'-looking toads.
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You are a perfect example of an illiterate 'toady'!
On Thursday, the Legg report will be published along with... 2008
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You are a perfect example of an illiterate 'toady'!
On Thursday, the Legg report will be published along with... 2008
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The former may give practical recognition of entire equality, to the best of his ability, but it will avail nothing, for the latter will not "toady" to his friend, nor be "patronized" by him.
Lessons in Life A Series of Familiar Essays Timothy Titcomb
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This tendency had earned for her the reputation of "toady" by those who did not understand her, or were inclined to judge from the surface.
Blue Bonnet in Boston or, Boarding-School Days at Miss North's Caroline E. Jacobs 1924
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And this kind of toady has an exquisite _flair_ for your greatness and dignity the moment he becomes quite sure of your pecuniary willingness to back both.
The Arena Volume 4, No. 20, July, 1891 Various 1888
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I am writing of events which took place years ago, but I have seen no reason to change the opinion then formed, that Mr. Parasyte, the principal, was a "toady" of the first water; that he was a narrow-minded, partial man, in whom the principle of justice had never been developed.
Breaking Away or The Fortunes of a Student Oliver Optic 1859
Prolagus commented on the word toady
The man in the restroom of the Highline Ballroom, tonight.
(a janitor, I mean)
July 3, 2008
sionnach commented on the word toady
Quack doctor seeks assistant. Duties will include the demonstration of the fantastical powers of medicinal remedies of my own devising at markets and fairs across the country. After you have swallowed one of my toads, which are supposedly deadly poisonous, you will miraculously come back to life following a dose of one of my medicaments. Then crowds eager for some relief from their aches and pains, infections and diseases will flock to purchase it.
Some experience in sleight-of-hand is advisable, unless you particularly relish the notion of suffering terrible stomach-ache and violent vomiting after gorging down a fat toad – in which case, incidentally, you may find that my own 'Potion for Curious Maladies', at three pence a bottle, provides some relief.
July 8, 2008
bilby commented on the word toady
Reminds me a bit of the actors who are seen eating in junk food advertisements.
February 9, 2009
yarb commented on the word toady
See also toad-eating.
April 22, 2009
ruzuzu commented on the word toady
"A coarse rustic woman." Thanks, Century Dictionary.
March 7, 2014
bilby commented on the word toady
Maybe not too late to celebrate International Women's Day with all your toad friends?
March 7, 2014
ruzuzu commented on the word toady
There's a frog I'm fond of, but she's been absent for ages.
March 7, 2014
bilby commented on the word toady
*lights candle*
March 8, 2014
yarb commented on the word toady
*holds lighter in air*
March 11, 2014