Unctuous vs. Sycophant — What's the Difference?

Excessively ingratiating or insincerely earnest

A person who attempts to gain advantage by flattering influential people or behaving in a servile manner.

Containing or composed of oil or fat.

One who uses obsequious compliments to gain self-serving favour or advantage from another; a servile flatterer.

Having the quality or characteristics of oil or ointment; slippery.

One who seeks to gain through the powerful and influential.

Abundant in organic materials; soft and rich

(obsolete) An informer; a talebearer.

Of a liquid, semisolid, or other substance: having the nature or properties of an unguent or ointment; greasy, oily.

To inform against; hence, to calumniate.

Having fat or oil present; fatty, greasy, oily.

To play the sycophant toward; to flatter obsequiously.

Of an aroma or taste, or a beverage (such as coffee or wine) or food (such as gravy, meat, or sauce): having layers of concentrated, velvety flavour; lush, rich.

An informer; a talebearer.

Of soil: soft and sticky.

A base parasite; a mean or servile flatterer; especially, a flatterer of princes and great men.

(figuratively) Of a person:

To inform against; hence, to calumniate.

Complacent, self-satisfied, smug.

To play the sycophant toward; to flatter obsequiously.

Profusely polite, especially in an insincere and unpleasant manner.

To play the sycophant.

Of the nature or quality of an unguent or ointment; fatty; oily; greasy.

A person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage

Having a smooth, greasy feel, as certain minerals.

Bland; suave; also, tender; fervid; as, an unctuous speech; sometimes, insincerely suave or fervid.

Unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech;