献媚

獻媚

xiànmèi

verb #35,826

Meanings

1 to ingratiate oneself
2 to curry favor
3 to fawn over
4 to suck up to

Characters

to flatter / charm

Examples

他总是向上司献媚以求升职。

Tā zǒngshì xiàng shàngsi xiànmèi yǐ qiú shēngzhí.

He's always sucking up to his boss in hopes of a promotion.

我看不惯他那副献媚的样子。

Wǒ kànbuguàn tā nà fù xiànmèi de yàngzi.

I can't stand that fawning manner of his.

Tips

register

Strongly negative. 献 means 'to offer up' (like a gift) and 媚 means 'to charm / flatter' — together it paints someone debasing themselves to please a superior. Use it to criticize, never to describe healthy politeness. Compare 拍马屁 pāi mǎpì (slangier) or 阿谀奉承 ēyú-fèngchéng (more literary).

Stroke Order

献 xiàn

媚 mèi