fawn

1 of 2

verb

ˈfȯn How to pronounce fawn (audio)
ˈfän
fawned; fawning; fawns

intransitive verb

1
: to court favor by a cringing or flattering manner
courtiers fawning on the king
2
: to show affection
used especially of a dog
The dog was fawning on its master.
fawner noun

fawn

2 of 2

noun

1
: a young deer
especially : one still unweaned or retaining a distinctive baby coat
2
3
: a light grayish brown
fawny
ˈfȯ-nē How to pronounce fawn (audio)
ˈfä-
adjective

Did you know?

Language lovers, rejoice! If you’re the sort of person who fawns over etymology (one of the best sorts of people, in our opinion), then you’ll be glad to know the story of fawn: it comes ultimately from the Old English adjective fægen or fagan, meaning “glad,” by way of Old English fagnian, meaning “to rejoice.” Hooray! But we’re not finished yet, my dear. Note that this fawn is not, despite appearances, related to the noun fawn that refers to a young deer. For that we can thank the Latin noun fetus, meaning “offspring.”

Choose the Right Synonym for fawn

fawn, toady, truckle, cringe, cower mean to behave abjectly before a superior.

fawn implies seeking favor by servile flattery or exaggerated attention.

waiters fawning over a celebrity

toady suggests the attempt to ingratiate oneself by an abjectly menial or subservient attitude.

toadying to his boss

truckle implies the subordination of oneself and one's desires or judgment to those of a superior.

truckling to a powerful lobbyist

cringe suggests a bowing or shrinking in fear or servility.

a cringing sycophant

cower suggests a display of abject fear in the company of threatening or domineering people.

cowering before a bully

Examples of fawn in a Sentence

Verb a sports star surrounded by fawning fans a student who could not wait to fawn over the new teacher
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Verb
On his Fox show, Carlson did fawning interviews with four sitting heads of state, all aspiring proto-authoritarian strongmen: Nayib Bukele, of El Salvador; Jair Bolsonaro, of Brazil; Viktor Orbán, of Hungary; and Donald Trump. Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024 Recent weeks have seen the release of a fawning new biography of the president and a seven-part documentary series on state television lauding his life trajectory. Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2024
Noun
Free Assembly Belted Utility Jacket This elegant style takes the barn jacket in a more upscale direction, elevating it with creamy cotton, fawn corduroy, and silver-toned buttons. Miles Walls, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024 Mills says a doe with twin fawns showed in the open area near his stand that afternoon, and browsed to within 20 feet of him. Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fawn 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English faunen, from Old English fagnian to rejoice, from fægen, fagan glad — more at fain entry 1

Noun

Middle English foun, from Anglo-French feun, foon young of an animal, from Vulgar Latin *feton-, feto, from Latin fetus offspring — more at fetus

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fawn was in the 13th century

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Dictionary Entries Near fawn

Cite this Entry

“Fawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fawn. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

fawn

1 of 2 verb
ˈfȯn How to pronounce fawn (audio)
ˈfän
1
: to show affection
used especially of a dog
2
: to try to win favor by behavior that shows lack of self-respect
fawner noun
fawningly adverb

fawn

2 of 2 noun
1
: a young deer
especially : one in its first year
2
: a light grayish brown
Etymology

Verb

Old English fagnian "to rejoice," from fægen "glad, fain"

Noun

early French feen, foon "young of an animal," derived from Latin fetus "offspring"

More from Merriam-Webster on fawn

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