noun
sycophant; toady; flatterer; lackey
A person who flatters or obsequiously follows someone in power for personal gain. Often carries a negative, contemptuous tone.
彼は上司の追従者として社内で嫌われている。
He is disliked in the company as a sycophant to his boss.
権力者に取り入ろうとする追従者にはなりたくない。
I don't want to become a toady who tries to curry favor with those in power.
太鼓持ち originally referred to a professional entertainer or jester who flatters guests, but can also mean a sycophant; it is more colorful and less common than 追従者.
Compound of 追従 (ついしょう, flattery, adulation) and 者 (しゃ, person). The exact historical derivation of 追従 is uncertain, but the kanji literally suggest 'following and obeying'.