ENGLISH
REFERENCE

lick someone's balls

idiom
Meaning

To act in a subservient manner; to suck up to.


Examples
SIMPLE

He just wants to lick the boss's balls to get a promotion.

CONTEXTUAL

I hate watching him lick the manager's balls during meetings just to earn some extra favor.

COMPLEX

Rather than relying on his own professional merits, he chose to lick the director's balls, hoping that such blatant sycophancy would secure his advancement.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    another nail in someone's coffin

    An event that increases the likelihood of or causes further failure.

  2. 02

    answer someone's prayers

    To be or do exactly what someone has been wishing or asking for.

  3. 03

    answer to someone's prayers

    Exactly what someone has been wishing or asking for.

  4. 04

    apple of someone's eye

    The object of somebody's affections; a person (or sometimes a thing) that someone strongly prefers; a favorite, a loved one.

  5. 05

    ball hog

    In team sports, a player who keeps the ball to themselves, rather than passing it.

  6. 06

    ball of fire

    A person who is especially active, ambitious, hard-working, or high-achieving.

  7. 07

    ball of malt

    A glass of whiskey.

  8. 08

    balls of steel

    Courage, audacity.

Last updated July 12, 2026