kiss someone's ass en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
Said because the ass is considered vulgar and being willing to kiss another's is considered a sign of submission and patronage.
Meanings
-
(idiomatic, slang) To flatter someone (especially a superior) in an obsequious manner, and to support their every opinion to gain their favor.
[…] Mr. Trump said he would not tell a “vicious joke” about the chief justice, who was present. “I’m going to kiss his ass for a long time,” the president said. That strategy did not seem to work.
2026 February 20, Adam Liptak, “The Supreme Court’s Declaration of Independence”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 20 Feb 2026:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| kisses someone's ass | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| kissing someone's ass | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| kissed someone's ass | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| kissed someone's ass | Tense=Past | lexicographic |
Relateds
asskisser · asslicker · kiss ass
Synonyms
apple-polish · dickride · fawn · toady · fellate · lick someone's ass · lick someone's balls · brownnose · honey around · bow and scrape · duchess · lick someone's ass · honey up · bootlick · overflatter · suck up · kiss someone's ring · overpraise · fawn over · kiss someone's ass · butter up · brownnose · kiss someone's ring · overrate · kowtow · flannel · kiss up