slavish
Americanadjective
-
of or befitting a slave.
slavish subjection.
-
being or resembling a slave; abjectly submissive.
He was slavish in his obedience.
- Synonyms:
- sycophantic
- Antonyms:
- independent
-
slavish fears.
- Antonyms:
- exalted
-
deliberately imitative; lacking originality.
a slavish reproduction.
adjective
-
of or befitting a slave
-
being or resembling a slave; servile
-
unoriginal; imitative
-
archaic ignoble
Related Words
See servile.
Other Word Forms
- overslavish adjective
- overslavishly adverb
- overslavishness noun
- slavishly adverb
- slavishness noun
Etymology
Origin of slavish
Explanation
Someone who's slavish is either overly meek and obedient or copies someone else instead of thinking for themselves. If you write your story in the style of Ernest Hemingway, your English teacher may accuse you of slavish imitation. In a dictatorship, rulers may expect citizens to be slavish, but in a democracy, no one should have to treat leaders in a slavish way. This meaning of slavish is the original 16th century one, from slave, "person who is the property of another person." The "servilely imitative, lacking originality or independence" meaning of slavish came later, around 1750.
Vocabulary lists containing slavish
The Merchant of Venice
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"Self-Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Gregor the Overlander
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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.
Self-proclaimed experts usually attract trouble through hubris, though I’ve seen bank traders and hedge fund managers annihilate themselves with slavish beliefs in trading ranges.
From Barron's • Jan. 14, 2026
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 • Oct. 13, 2025
Does Moretti start knocking off Ariel’s colleagues because they’re too obsequious or not slavish enough?
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 2, 2025
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 • Mar. 15, 2024
“A slavish concern for the composition of words is the sign of a bankrupt intellect,” roared the Humbug, waving his cane furiously.
From "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster
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.
