What is a phycofant

The word you're likely thinking of is Sycophant. A sycophant is a person that uses flattery to gain favor with someone that's in power, or has great influence.

Someone who is a sycophant may be described as obsequious; an obedient, submissive, and compliant person.

Some common synonyms for sycophant include: bootlicker, brownnoser, suck-up, toady, or flunky.

Simply put, they use insincere flattery in an attempt to gain something that they want.

A good example usage comes from the Journal News of West Virginia a couple of weeks ago where in an article they referred to Democratic Governor Earl Ray Tomblin as a "sycophant of the coal industry," whose policies "seem to come directly from the right wing American Legislative Exchange Council playbook."