Question

Select the option that is the nearest meaning to the underlined word/words.
I do not want you to lead a life of sycophancy as you did during the foreign rule.
a)admiration
b)love
c)appreciation
d)flattery

Answer 1

Hint: Sycophancy means insincere praise or buttering of someone important, in order to gain an advantage.

Complete step-by-step answer:

We already know from the hint given to us that sycophancy means insincere praise or buttering of someone important, in order to gain an advantage. In order to find the correct word with a similar meaning, the word must have a similar description. Hence, we shall be analyzing the meanings of all the words given to us in the options.
Admiration is a noun that means to admire something or to adore something in a respectful manner. We observe that it does not match the description of sycophancy. Hence, option ‘a’ is an incorrect answer.
Love is the feeling of affection and to strongly like someone or something. We observe that it does not match the description of sycophancy. Hence, option ‘b’ is an incorrect answer.
Appreciation means to praise and approve of something or someone. We observe that it does not match the description of sycophancy. Hence, option ‘c’ is an incorrect answer.
Flattery means praising someone falsely for one’s own benefit. We observe that it matches the description of sycophancy. Hence, option ‘d’ is a correct answer.

Note: Sycophancy is a more formal and polished word for flattery. They both are synonymous to each other.