slavish

adjective

slav·​ish ˈslā-vish How to pronounce slavish (audio)
 sometimes  ˈsla-
1
a
: of or characteristic of someone held in forced servitude
especially : basely or abjectly servile
b
archaic : despicable, low
I have done with slavish fear of disaster.Charlotte Brontë
… in a sense it is infinitely reasonable …. But there is such a thing as a mean infinity, a base and slavish eternity.G. K. Chesterton
2
archaic : oppressive, tyrannical
No minion of despotism ever ventured to advance more slavish doctrines …George McDuffie
3
disapproving : copying obsequiously or without originality : imitative
slavishly adverb
slavishness noun

Examples of slavish in a Sentence

a politician and his slavish followers He has been criticized for his slavish devotion to the rules.
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.
Yet in Kim’s slavish dedication to the Jeju haenyeo’s testimony, many questions that arise in this setting are left unexplored. Geoffrey Bunting, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2024 By the beginning of 1956, some American communists openly blamed the poor state of their party on Moscow’s ideological inflexibility—and their own leaders’ slavish obedience to Soviet officials. Jeremy Friedman, Foreign Affairs, 17 July 2024 But the final opening skates through Joan dunking her face in an ice bath, arriving at the studio, and then returning home to the slavish Carol Ann. Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 29 June 2024 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 See all Example Sentences for slavish 

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of slavish was in 1565

Dictionary Entries Near slavish

Cite this Entry

“Slavish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slavish. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

slavish

adjective
slav·​ish ˈslā-vish How to pronounce slavish (audio)
1
: of or characteristic of someone held in forced servitude
2
: lacking in independence or originality
slavish imitators
slavishly adverb
slavishness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on slavish

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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