obsequious
Americanadjective
-
characterized by or showing servile obedience and excessive eagerness to please; fawning; ingratiating.
an obsequious bow;
obsequious servants.
- Synonyms:
- submissive, deferential, subservient, servile, oleaginous, flattering
adjective
-
obedient or attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner
-
rare submissive or compliant
Synonym Usage
See servile.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of obsequious
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin obsequiōsus, equivalent to obsequi(um) “compliance,” derivative of obsequ(ī) “to comply with” (equivalent to ob- + sequī “to follow”) + -ium + -ōsus; see ob-, -ium, -ous
Explanation
If you disapprove of the overly submissive way someone is acting — like the teacher's pet or a celebrity's assistant — call them by the formal adjective obsequious. There are many words in the English language for a person or an action that is overly obedient and submissive. Obsequious people are usually not being genuine; they resort to flattery and other fawning ways to stay in the good graces of authority figures. An obsequious person can be called a bootlicker, a brownnoser or a toady. You can also say that someone gives an obsequious bow, a gesture that means, "your wish is my command."
Vocabulary lists containing obsequious
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Othello
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Participants rated sycophantic AI responses significantly higher in quality and, after interacting with a more obsequious model, said they were more likely to return to the AI.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
It’s going to be this obsequious, bootlicking celebration of Alito’s brilliance.
From Slate ● Feb. 13, 2026
Vance was never the first choice for even that obsequious role.
From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2025
Last month's Nato summit in The Hague was an exercise in obsequious courtship.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2025
Milo’s office was a barbershop, and his deputy mayor was a pudgy barber from whose obsequious lips cordial greetings foamed as effusively as the lather he began whipping up in Milo’s shaving cup.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
