1
as in hagiographical
overly or insincerely flattering
an office flunky who can be counted on to make an adulatory response to the boss's every suggestion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in adoring
reflecting great admiration or devotion
an adulatory eulogy delivered at a beloved teacher's retirement party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adulatory
Adjective
-
In some cases, like his calls to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, Mr. Trump has promised changes that many of his most adoring fans in Europe have stopped well short of.—
Jim Tankersley,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2025 -
Having a constant loving, happy, and adoring presence makes Kirk’s solo road trips feel far from lonely.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
29 Aug. 2024
Adjective
-
Likewise, Hollywood stars were adored in hagiographic terms.—
Michael Ashley,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 2025
-
Recording a song for the hagiographic Ronald Reagan movie but not his own biopic?—
Chris Stanton,
Vulture,
25 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Rosemary Farm in Santa Maria, California, has struggled to get by as bird flu ravages poultry populations across the U.S., sickening and killing birds and causing egg prices to spike.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA TODAY,
14 Feb. 2025
-
Plastic straws were also noted sticking out of sea turtle nostrils, and sickening or killing seabirds, fish, manatees, dolphins and other marine mammals.—
Susanne Rust,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The chatter has only grown in recent days, after Ms. Anderson — who just celebrated a birthday — posted a story on her Instagram account, showing a lavish bouquet of flowers and a gushy card from an admirer.—
Jesse McKinley,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2024
-
There’s no better time to embrace the mushy gushy than in the first few moments after winning gold medals together.—
Meg Linehan,
The Athletic,
10 Aug. 2024
Adjective
-
One defense, beginning in the late eighteen-hundreds, was flypaper, sheets of which were coated on one side with an oleaginous substance that lured flies, then permanently trapped them.—
David Owen,
The New Yorker,
27 July 2024
-
At any moment, the noodles might dissolve, the cheese topping burn, the dish collapse into a soggy, oleaginous mess.—
Isaac Butler,
The New Yorker,
1 Dec. 2023
Adjective
-
This soothing effect makes aloe vera a quick-absorbing, non-greasy moisturizer for all types of skin, including oily skin.—
Atenea Morales de la Cruz,
Vogue,
13 Feb. 2025
-
This can lead to dandruff and its characteristic oily, flaky patches of skin forming on the scalp.5 This is one reason why dandruff is more common in the colder months—your skin is more likely to be drier, and your scalp is more vulnerable.—
Sarah Bradley,
Health,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The maguey imparts a subtly vegetal flavor, and cooks reserve just enough fat so that each bite of meat is unctuous.—
Edmund Tijerina,
Bon Appétit,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Mandelson is a deeply charming, borderline unctuous character.—
Sam Knight,
The New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The near silences are fulsome: A light wind rustles a pine tree, and corn husks make that unmistakable scratching sound.—
Lisa Kennedy,
Variety,
1 Feb. 2025
-
National Geographic produced an adulatory documentary, but the most fulsome example was a profile in fashion magazine InStyle.—
Cory Franklin,
Twin Cities,
2 Jan. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Adulatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adulatory. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share