obsequious

adjective

ob·​se·​qui·​ous əb-ˈsē-kwē-əs 

äb-

: marked by or exhibiting a fawning attentiveness

obsequiously adverb

obsequiousness noun

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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."

Examples of obsequious in a Sentence

But the Democratic presidential nominee is commonly referred to as Elvis, and his running mate as Eddie Haskell, that obsequious weenie from '50s TV. —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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Hugh Grant and a scented candle terrorize two young missionaries in the trailer for A24's Heretic Grant exudes an almost obsequious congeniality before letting something more sinister seep from his pores. —Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 10 Sep. 2024

Each segment sinks into depravity: First, Jesse Plemons, an obsequious employee, obeys his boss Willem Dafoe’s orders to kill. —Armond White, National Review, 21 June 2024

And, even though the boy is unseen, the actor sure has nailed down the aggressively obsequious kind of intimacy with youth that has cost society so much. —Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2024

Since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian political elite have grown more pliant in implementing Putin’s orders and more obsequious in pandering to his paranoid worldview. —Maksim Samorukov, Foreign Affairs, 25 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, compliant, from Latin obsequiosus, from obsequium compliance, from obsequi to comply, from ob- toward + sequi to follow — more at ob-, sue

First Known Use

1602, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

obsequious

adjective

ob·​se·​qui·​ous əb-ˈsē-kwē-əs 

äb-

: overly eager to help or obey at the wish or command of another person especially to gain favor