obsequious
adjective
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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."
Example Sentences
Guy Trebay, Village Voice, 28 July 1992 He could wear an oxford shirt and necktie and speak the local language, in every sense, and never act obsequious or look as though he felt out of place. Tracy Kidder, New England Monthly, April 1990 The obsequious villagers touched their caps but sneered behind her back. "George Sand," 1980, in V. S. Pritchett: A Man of Letters, 1985 Nash's other hand flashed forward a lighter with the obsequious speed of a motor salesman. Ian Fleming, From Russia, With Love, 1957 She's constantly followed by obsequious assistants who will do anything she tells them to. Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2022 At a Kremlin meeting over the weekend, Putin’s frustration at the Ukrainians for being less obsequious than Trump boiled over, sources said. Andy Borowitz, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2022 An obsequious exchange wasn't the point of his visit. Elliot Ackerman, Wired, 16 Feb. 2021 Often the scorn only intensifies, while obsequious apologies to Beijing can rankle Western consumers. Elisabeth Braw, WSJ, 24 July 2022 As vice president, Pence was Trump's notably obsequious wingman, heaping praise on his boss and stepping far from the spotlight whenever the president was in the same space. Michael D'antonio, CNN, 25 May 2022 This doesn't mean being obsequious, currying favor with the boss— just act nice and kind, treating everyone with dignity and respect. Jack Kelly, Forbes, 14 May 2022 To be sure Biden is not embracing the Crown Prince in the same obsequious manner that former President Donald Trump did. Peter Bergen, CNN, 11 July 2022 Sure enough, the mayor’s son Sahin (Erol Babaoglu) and his grinning, obsequious sidekick Kemal (Erdem Şenocak) show up almost immediately at Emre’s office, ostensibly to welcome him, but really to sound him out. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 29 June 2022 See More Word History
Middle English, compliant, from Latin obsequiosus, from obsequium compliance, from obsequi to comply, from ob- toward + sequi to follow — more at ob-, sue
1602, in the meaning defined above
obsequious
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- obedient
- subordinate
- servile
- dutiful
- fawning
- decorous
- slavish
- subservient
- kowtowing
- docile
- obeisant
- amiable
- submissive
- obliging
- acquiescent
- compliant
- gentle
- controllable
- biddable
- manageable
- tractable
- agreeable
- amenable
- duteous
- governable
- conformable
- placable
- restrained
- mannerly
- law-abiding
- orderly
- surrendering
- soft
- yielding
- meek
- constrained
- repressed
- disciplined
- tame
- tractable
- inhibited
- mild
- curbed
- teachable
- trainable
- handleable
- disciplinable
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- mutinous
- obstinate
- peevish
- obdurate
- unyielding
- stubborn
- mulish
- headstrong
- defiant
- dogged
- uncontrollable
- unmanageable
- resistant
- hardheaded
- perverse
- insurgent
- wild
- pigheaded
- mischievous
- bad
- insolent
- balky
- impudent
- naughty
- disorderly
- rude
- errant
- self-willed
- undisciplined
- disrespectful
- impolite
- obstreperous
- defiant
- willful
- wilful
- contumacious
- recalcitrant
- unruly
- dissident
- contrary
- wayward
- rebellious
- ill-bred
- nonconformist
- restive
- refractory
- disobedient
- intractable
- insubordinate
- noncompliant
- unamenable
- balky
- misbehaving
- untoward
- froward
- ungovernable
- ill-mannered
- rebel
- incompliant
Synonym Chooser
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.
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.