What is the difference between bootlicking and adulation?

Definitions

bootlicking

- Describing someone who excessively flatters or praises another person in order to gain favor or advantage.

- Referring to the act of ingratiating oneself to someone in a servile or obsequious manner.

- Talking about excessive and insincere praise or admiration towards someone in a manipulative way.

adulation

- Referring to excessive or exaggerated praise, admiration, or flattery towards someone.

- Describing the act of idolizing or worshiping someone with great admiration and devotion.

- Talking about the expression of extreme approval or adoration towards someone.

List of Similarities

• 1. Both involve expressing admiration towards someone.
• 2. Both can be seen as forms of flattery.
• 3. Both can be used to gain favor or advantage.
• 4. Both are related to excessive praise or admiration.
• 5. Both can be used to manipulate or influence others.

What is the difference?

• 1. Intention: Bootlicking implies a desire to gain favor or advantage, while adulation focuses more on expressing extreme admiration or worship.
• 2. Degree: Bootlicking suggests insincerity and excessive flattery, while adulation can be genuine but exaggerated.
• 3. Connotation: Bootlicking has a negative connotation, implying manipulation or sycophancy, while adulation can have a positive or negative connotation depending on the context.
• 4. Usage: Bootlicking is more commonly used to describe someone's behavior, while adulation is used to describe the act or expression of extreme admiration.
• 5. Formality: Bootlicking is informal and colloquial, while adulation is more formal and often used in written or formal contexts.

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Remember this!

Bootlicking and adulation both involve expressing admiration towards someone, but they differ in intention, degree, connotation, usage, and formality. Bootlicking is characterized by insincere and excessive flattery with the aim of gaining favor or advantage, while adulation focuses more on expressing extreme admiration or worship. Bootlicking has a negative connotation and is colloquial, while adulation can be genuine but exaggerated and is more formal in usage.