syc ‧ o ‧ phant /ˈsɪkəfənt/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: sycophanta 'someone who tells about the bad actions of another, flatterer' , from Greek sykophantes , from sykon 'fig' + phainein 'to show' ]
formal someone who praises powerful people too much because they want to get something from them – used in order to show disapproval:
a dictator surrounded by sycophants