slavish

adjective

slav·​ish ˈslā-vish 

 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

Synonyms

• imitative
• imitation
• emulative
• formulaic

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

The film’s slavish dedication to its source material — the challenging of which would open its own can of worms — demands ignoring all potential complexity in favor of didactic conclusions. —Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 19 June 2025

The Red Sox organization’s slavish devotion to analytics has a downside, Lynn said. —Bill Speros, Boston Herald, 15 June 2025

Congressional oversight remains the primary check, but with Republicans controlling both chambers and illustrating a slavish devotion to Trump, impeachment is politically unrealistic regardless of legal merit. —Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 June 2025

Nonetheless, the film’s tension is almost immediately diffused by a slavish devotion to the facts. —Gregory Nussen, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for slavish

• knavish

Kids Definition

slavish

adjective

slav·​ish ˈslā-vish 

1

: of or characteristic of someone held in forced servitude

2

: lacking in independence or originality

slavish imitators

slavishly adverb

slavishness noun