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Define obsequious

How is the word obsequious distinct from other similar adjectives? Some common synonyms of obsequious are servile , slavish , and subservient. While all these words mean "showing or characterized by extreme compliance or abject obedience," obsequious implies fawning or sycophantic compliance and exaggerated deference of manner. When is servile a more appropriate choice than obsequious? The synonyms servile and obsequious are sometimes interchangeable, but servile suggests the mean or fawning behavior of a slave. Although the words slavish and obsequious have much in common, slavish suggests abject or debased servility. The meanings of subservient and obsequious largely overlap; however, subservient implies the cringing manner of one very conscious of a subordinate position. Accessed 18 Mar. Nglish: Translation of obsequious for Spanish Speakers. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! See Definitions and Examples ».

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Follow Along With the Definition of Obsequious. According to the origin of the word, an obsequious person is more likely to be a follower than a leader. The word comes from Latin sequi, meaning "to follow"; the prefix ob- means "toward. These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'obsequious. Send us feedback about these examples.

Related to obsequious: thesaurus. Full of or exhibiting servile compliance; fawning. All rights reserved. Copyright , , by Random House, Inc. Switch to new thesaurus. Based on WordNet 3.

Define obsequious

Forget doing it or forget to do it? Avoiding common mistakes with verb patterns 2. Add to word list Add to word list. She is embarrassingly obsequious to anyone in authority. Praising insincerely or too eagerly. Examples of obsequious. Complimenting someone can be effective, but can appear obsequious if you overdo it. From Chicago Tribune. Nobody actually cared about the miserable, obscenely obsequious , sycophantically slimy internal opposition. From TIME.

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Tell us about this example sentence:. Word of the Day pull strings. Browse alphabetically obsequious. The Guardian Register now or log in to access. Browse obscurely. Pick the best ones! Rulers, however beleaguered, still wanted to be treated as patrons, but although singers kept up the old obsequious language they felt freer in practice to do what suited them. Sign up now or Log in. Bilingual Dictionaries. English—Japanese Japanese—English. British and American pronunciations with audio. Need a translator?

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Tools to create your own word lists and quizzes. English—Swedish Swedish—English. More from Merriam-Webster on obsequious. Example from the Hansard archive. According to the origin of the word, an obsequious person is more likely to be a follower than a leader. English—Japanese Japanese—English. Word Lists. Browse obscenity. Japanese to English. Missing Letter A crossword with a twist Play. English—Dutch Dutch—English. Choose a dictionary. Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once? Nglish: Translation of obsequious for Spanish Speakers.