Kiss-ass means: An obsequious person who tries to win the favor of someone, usually their superior.. It is informal slang, fine in casual speech but not suited to formal contexts. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
kiss-ass
(North America, slang) An obsequious person who tries to win the favor of someone, usually their superior.
Definitions
Global
#1·Apr 27, 2026Global
(North America, slang) An obsequious person who tries to win the favor of someone, usually their superior.
For parents
Kiss-ass means: An obsequious person who tries to win the favor of someone, usually their superior.. It is informal slang, fine in casual speech but not suited to formal contexts. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
kiss-ass means: An obsequious person who tries to win the favor of someone, usually their superior.. Register: very informal, slang. Suitable only for casual conversation, chat and social media. Do not use in business, academic or news writing. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
Was this helpful?
Comments
For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Used in
Global
Have a better definition?
Add your own interpretation of "kiss-ass".
🗺️About Regional & Other slang
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
Tags
Other words near "kiss-ass" (K)
kirktownkirkwardenkirkyardkirnerkiskykiss arsekissathonkiss camkissed on the dick by a fairykisserkiss-me-quickkiss-off
Browse all slang words starting with K.
Related terms
People also read
Semantically related
- ass-kisser90%
(North America, slang, vulgar) Someone who kisses ass (who acts obsequiously in order to gain another's favor).
- kiss someone's ass87%
(idiomatic, slang) To flatter someone (especially a superior) in an obsequious manner, and to support their every opinion to gain their favor.
- kiss arse80%
(UK, Ireland, idiomatic, sometimes, vulgar, colloquial) , to curry favour with the powerful by obsequious flattery.
- asskisser78%
(US, vulgar, pejorative) Someone who kisses ass; a sycophantic individual.
- ass sucker76%
A vulgar insult used to describe someone who is excessively subservient, sycophantic, or obsequious — typically toward a person in authority. Synonymous with 'brown-noser' or 'ass-kisser' in meaning, though more sexually crude in phrasing. Typically used to express contempt for someone perceived as ingratiating themselves for personal gain. Common in workplace grumbling and schoolyard insults. The term can also be used as a general-purpose vulgar insult independent of its literal meaning.