a toady to sb
用 to 引出讨好的对象；语气带有明显的贬义。
He is nothing but a toady to the director.
他不过是主任的马屁精。
马屁精；谄媚者
toadies — plural of toady
为了个人利益而讨好他人的人
为了个人利益而讨好他人的人
a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage
The new assistant is a real toady, always agreeing with the boss.
新来的助理真是个马屁精，总是附和老板。
用法提示：toady 是名词，指为了个人利益讨好别人的人。
Nobody respects a toady who only praises the manager for promotion.
没人尊重只为升职而称赞经理的马屁精。
用法提示：toady 作名词，贬义地指谄媚奉承者。
She refused to be a toady and spoke her mind at the meeting.
她拒绝当马屁精，在会上直言不讳。
用法提示：toady 是名词，表示讨好他人以谋取私利的人。
用 to 引出讨好的对象；语气带有明显的贬义。
He is nothing but a toady to the director.
他不过是主任的马屁精。
act as 强调在某场合中扮演讨好者的角色。
He acted as a toady to win the manager's favour.
他为了赢得经理的好感而充当马屁精。
play the toady 是较口语的说法，含讥讽意味。
Stop playing the toady and say what you really think.
别再扮演马屁精了，说出你的真实想法。
grammar · medium
易错句子He surrounded himself with a group of toadys.
正确表达He surrounded himself with a group of toadies.
toady 是可数名词，以辅音字母加 y 结尾，变复数时要先把 y 变成 i 再加 -es，所以复数写 toadies，不能直接加 -s。
grammar · medium
易错句子Everyone knows he is toady.
正确表达Everyone knows he is a toady.
toady 是可数名词，单数形式作表语时前面必须加不定冠词 a；汉语名词本身不带冠词，学习者容易漏掉。
grammar · medium
易错句子He is very toady to his boss.
正确表达He is a real toady to his boss.
toady 只有名词词性，不能像形容词那样受 very 修饰作表语；要表达“他是个马屁精”，需用 a real toady 这样的名词短语。
toady 和 sycophant 都指为私利而讨好他人的人，但 sycophant 更正式、偏书面，常指讨好权贵者；toady 在口语中更常见，贬义和卑躬屈膝的意味更直接。若语境是正式评论或描写攀附权势，sycophant 更合适；日常口语中指责某人巴结讨好，toady 更自然。
flatterer 侧重用赞美、恭维话讨好别人，行为核心是“说好话”；toady 更强调为私利而卑躬屈膝地巴结，常含人格上的贬低。若只是称赞别人以取悦对方，用 flatterer 更自然；若强调攀附权势、阿谀奉承，toady 更贴切。两者在“为好处而恭维”的语境下可能重叠，但 flatterer 不一定处于从属地位。
yes-man 强调对上级或强者一味附和、从不反对，核心是“同意”；toady 则强调主动讨好以谋取好处，核心是“巴结”。yes-man 多用于职场、政治语境，常指下属；toady 的适用范围更广，不限于下属关系。两者都含贬义，当一个人既附和又刻意讨好时，两个词都可能成立。
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