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 Nolan brings an impressive degree of historical accuracy to the film without resorting to a slavish recitation of facts, seeding it with oodles of throwaway details and characters as ornamental flourishes. Ars Staff, Ars Technica, 25 Dec. 2023 But if that earlier Haunted Mansion took liberties with the source material, 2023’s film is almost slavish to the ride’s lore. Vulture, 31 July 2023 Lewis doesn’t say who told him so, but the absurd conjecture appeared in a slavish profile written by a freelance author for Sequoia Capital, which invested in FTX; the profile has since been scrubbed from the firm’s website, presumably out of mortification. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2023 Instead, their work references history with consummate sophistication, evoking the architectural styles of times gone by—though never in a slavish fashion. ELLE Decor, 7 June 2023 That Miller manages to make such a funny, fully dimensional impression as Barry Allen, better known as the Flash, is no mean feat given the movie’s slavish devotion to nostalgic fan service. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 June 2023 Second, many believe this slavish devotion to history to be deeply flawed. Robert J. Spitzer, Time, 6 June 2023 This series respects Asimov's sweeping visionary ideas without lapsing into slavish reverence and over-pontification. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 11 May 2023 Affleck plays Phil’s contradictions — the man’s simultaneous slavish devotion to the bottom line and obsession with Buddhism — as one of the film’s running jokes. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'slavish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

slavish

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

More from Merriam-Webster on slavish

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