slavish

American  

[sley-vish] / ˈsleɪ vɪʃ /

adjective

1. of or befitting a slave.

   slavish subjection.

2. being or resembling a slave; abjectly submissive.

   He was slavish in his obedience.

   Synonyms:

   sycophantic

   Antonyms:

   independent

3. base; mean; ignoble.

   slavish fears.

   Antonyms:

   exalted

4. deliberately imitative; lacking originality.

   a slavish reproduction.

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slavish British  

/ ˈsleɪvɪʃ /

adjective

1. of or befitting a slave

2. being or resembling a slave; servile

3. unoriginal; imitative

4. archaic ignoble

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Related Words

See servile.

Other Word Forms

• overslavish adjective
• overslavishly adverb
• overslavishness noun
• slavishly adverb
• slavishness noun

Etymology

Origin of slavish

First recorded in 1555–65; slave + -ish ¹

Example Sentences

Kay wants to punish Michael for his treatment of her, for his casual cruelty, for his slavish devotion to a monstrous profession.

From The Wall Street Journal

While I like the movies a lot, I don’t have a slavish devotion to them.

From Los Angeles Times

De Palma’s slavish emulation of Hitchcock runs through numerous films, and with notable specificity.

From Los Angeles Times

While I like the moves a lot, I don’t have a slavish devotion to them.

From Los Angeles Times

The police department’s slavish interpretation of the law may be due to a report, issued a month before Mobarak’s death, faulting them for routinely violating young people’s rights.

From Seattle Times