Synonyms for fawning
- adjective
- noun
Most common
All synonyms
Adjective
sycophantic, obsequious, servile, unctuous, fulsome, slavish, insincere, abject, parasitic, supple, truckling, toadyish, groveling, smarmy, flattering, submissive, oily, soapy
Noun
Definitions
- adj. 1
Seeking favor by way of flattery; flattering, servile.
- n. 1
Servile flattery.
Forms
- Plural
- fawnings → sycophancies, adulations, cringings, flatteries…
Example sentences
- servile Tom is a servile man like Akaky Akakievich.
- obsequious Obsequious people make me feel uncomfortable.
- unctuous They resented how his unctuous flattery tended to obtrude into serious meetings.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| fawning | rising | |
| servile | steady | |
| sycophantic | rising | |
| obsequious | rising | |
| unctuous | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- oily2
- 5 letters
- soapy2
- 6 letters
- abject2, supple2, smarmy2
- 7 letters
- servile2, slavish2, fulsome2
- 8 letters
- flattery3, cringing2, unctuous2, toadyish, cajolery
- 9 letters
- parasitic4, insincere3, adulation4, groveling3, servility4, truckling
- 10 letters
- flattering3, submissive3, obsequious4, sycophancy
- 11 letters
- sycophantic4
- 12 letters
- blandishment3
- 14 letters
- obsequiousness
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (oily2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- courtisan