subservient

1
2

Synonym Chooser

How is the word subservient distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of subservient are obsequious, servile, and slavish. While all these words mean "showing or characterized by extreme compliance or abject obedience," subservient implies the cringing manner of one very conscious of a subordinate position.

domestic help was expected to be properly subservient

When could obsequious be used to replace subservient?

In some situations, the words obsequious and subservient are roughly equivalent. However, obsequious implies fawning or sycophantic compliance and exaggerated deference of manner.

waiters who are obsequious in the presence of celebrities

When is it sensible to use servile instead of subservient?

The meanings of servile and subservient largely overlap; however, servile suggests the mean or fawning behavior of a slave.

a political boss and his entourage of servile hangers-on

Where would slavish be a reasonable alternative to subservient?

The words slavish and subservient can be used in similar contexts, but slavish suggests abject or debased servility.

the slavish status of migrant farm workers

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 subservient Despite working in a position of power within the ecosystem of the hotel, they are still essentially subservient to all of their guests, if not significantly less well off. Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 3 Apr. 2025 We are not subservient to a king or anyone else out of Washington. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025 The problem of a very hierarchical party is that not a lot of alternative figures emerge because there’s the leader and only the leader, and everyone else is just subservient to the leader. Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2025 And, when the U.S. government began requesting the extradition of the leaders, the Salvadoran courts, subservient to Bukele, repeatedly found excuses to avoid handing them over. Danielle MacKey, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for subservient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subservient
Adjective
  • The Soviets had to send troops into Budapest in 1956 and Prague in 1968 to keep the governments there subordinate to Moscow.
    Robert O. Keohane, Foreign Affairs, 2 June 2025
  • This was by no means a subordinate form of identity.
    Matthew Karp, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • There’s also the risk of secondary toxicity if a mole comes to the surface, dies, and is eaten by a raptor or other predator.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 21 June 2025
  • Ideally, this wouldn’t involve adding just one top-six winger this offseason, but rather adding several pieces to revamp the club’s secondary scoring support up and down the lineup.
    Harman Dayal, New York Times, 21 June 2025
Adjective
  • Those who tend to favor obedient children are scored as having more authoritarian views.
    Adam Eichen, The Conversation, 11 June 2025
  • They’re done being obedient to an archaic and broken system.
    Devon Ivie, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2024
Adjective
  • Automate and Delegate From the Start If your goal is passive income, don’t wait to automate.
    Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
  • This is raising questions about future market trends and the value of passive approaches in a period of greater uncertainty.
    Ganesh Rao, CNBC, 12 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Subservient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subservient. Accessed 25 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on subservient

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!