Synonym Chooser

How is the word slavish distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of slavish are obsequious, servile, and subservient. While all these words mean "showing or characterized by extreme compliance or abject obedience," slavish suggests abject or debased servility.

the slavish status of migrant farm workers

When is obsequious a more appropriate choice than slavish?

While in some cases nearly identical to slavish, obsequious implies fawning or sycophantic compliance and exaggerated deference of manner.

waiters who are obsequious in the presence of celebrities

When might servile be a better fit than slavish?

While the synonyms servile and slavish are close in meaning, servile suggests the mean or fawning behavior of a slave.

a political boss and his entourage of servile hangers-on

When can subservient be used instead of slavish?

The meanings of subservient and slavish largely overlap; however, subservient implies the cringing manner of one very conscious of a subordinate position.

domestic help was expected to be properly subservient

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of slavish Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s Democratic opponents have expressed horror at his slavish flattery of Putin but have failed to articulate a coherent Russia strategy of their own. Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2020 Feud and American Horror Story creator Murphy purchased the Brown House in 2022 and set about renovating it and decorating it in an eclectic style that wasn’t slavish to its mid-century roots. Degen Pener, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 May 2024 But California’s governor was utterly slavish in the role of dutiful party soldier, repeatedly extolling Biden’s performance with a rat-a-tat of statistics — a Newsom hallmark — on falling inflation, rising employment and other favorable barometers. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2023 After the script was poorly received by De Laurentiis, Herbert took one last stab at trying to pull it in a less lengthy/slavish direction. Max Evry, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024 See All Example Sentences for slavish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slavish
Adjective
  • The social self is avoidance-based, conforming, imitative, predictable, planned, and hardworking.
    Ellen Choi, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
  • Not surprisingly, Renaissance architects and writers ended up contriving very similar imitative strategies.
    Mario Carpo, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Sometimes those simple, humble, short-on-ingredients dishes are some of our most cherished.
    Nellah Bailey McGough, Southern Living, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Articulate yet humble in interviews, Coleman is the ultimate team player on the court and the biggest supporter of his teammates off it.
    Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • So Alex dons a uniform, buses tables and engages in servile labor for the first time in her life.
    Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Trump’s servile devotion to Putin becomes the new norm overnight as Republicans cower in support of Trump’s new Putin policy.
    Bob Kustra, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Later, the abject widow is found huddled with her relatives in the pale curve of an empty swimming pool, a glowing charcoal imbaula nearby to keep them warm.
    Namwali Serpell, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2025
  • On an early spring night in 1992, about 75 people were packed under the high vaulted ceiling of the church’s main hall, in abject shock and grief.
    Guthrie Scrimgeour, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Statham reunites with director David Ayer after their last hit together, The Beekeeper, for this formulaic but effective actioner that might well have starred Sylvester Stallone decades ago (sorry, Sly, but the years are marching on).
    Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2025
  • By now, their break-ups to make-ups have become formulaic and boring — more than 780 episodes will do that to ya — but during the early seasons of The Simpsons, Homer and Marge's relationship was one of the most complex on television.
    James Mercadante, EW.com, 26 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Slavish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slavish. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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