adulation
- excessive devotion to someone; servile flattery.
Origin of adulation
Related Words for adulatory
appreciative, congratulatory, respectful, polite, gallant, aristocratic, stately, elegant, civilized, affable, dignified, gracious, flattering, fiery, flaming, rhapsodic, burning, blazing, humble, cringingExamples from the Web for adulatory
Contemporary Examples of adulatory
It's true that Berman's view of her subject is adulatory, even gushy.
McChrystal has lately been the subject of numerous media profiles, most of them adulatory.
Historical Examples of adulatory
These verses have been disparaged as too adulatory in their tone.
The Oxford ReformersFrederic Seebohm
A murmur of adulatory incredulity arose from the group of courtiers.
The Vicomte de BragelonneAlexandre Dumas
The adulatory phrases used as mere conventionalities seemed to have actually turned his head.
Charles the BoldRuth Putnam
Although not handsome, his face called for an adulatory responsiveness on the part of those who came in contact with him.
Edith and JohnFranklin S. Farquhar
Demochares, then, has said all this about the adulatory spirit and conduct of the Athenians.
adulatory
- expressing praise, esp obsequiously; flattering
adulation
- obsequious flattery or praise; extreme admiration
Word Origin and History for adulatory
adulation
late 14c., "insincere praise," from Old French adulacion, from Latin adulationem (nominative adulatio) "a fawning; flattery, cringing courtesy," noun of action from past participle stem of aduliari "to flatter," from ad- "to" (see ad-) + ulos "tail," from PIE *ul- "the tail" (cf. Sanskrit valah "tail," Lithuanian valai "horsehair of the tail"). The original notion is "to wag the tail" like a fawning dog (cf. Greek sainein "to wag the tail," also "to flatter;" see also wheedle).