ADULATORY Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

adulatory

adjective

Definition of adulatory

as in hagiographic

overly or insincerely flattering an office flunky who can be counted on to make an adulatory response to the boss's every suggestion

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in adoring

reflecting great admiration or devotion an adulatory eulogy delivered at a beloved teacher's retirement party

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of adulatory Besides being a record of events, the work is a crafty portrayal of kingship, presenting Akbar in an adulatory tone, as an exemplary and divinely favored ruler. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026 Reggie’s solution is to hire Arthur Tobin (Daniel Radcliffe), an Oscar-winning documentarian, to make an adulatory film about him, changing public perception and opening new doors. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 18 Jan. 2026 Though the pilot wasn't picked up, Spinal Tap endured, acting as the primary subject of the first film's sendup of breathlessly adulatory rock biopics like Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for adulatory

Adjective

Toei had close ties to the Yamaguchi-gumi, the biggest gang in Japan; in the early seventies, the syndicate boss’s son helped make a series of hagiographic films about his father—played by Ken-san.

— Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Consider Tom Brady’s 199 Productions — so far, the company’s output has almost exclusively been hagiographic documentaries and films about Brady’s illustrious football career.

— Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of hagiographic

Adjective

Mom and daughter share adoring glances at an event to celebrate International Women's Day in London.

— Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
The Patriots’ pass coverage without Christian Gonzalez, their atrocious inside linebacker play and roller-coaster special teams, which give any adoring fan a heart attack at a moment’s notice.

— Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 16 Sep. 2025

Definition of adoring

Adjective

Its pristine, almost peaceful harps make the song sound somehow pleasantly sickening.

— Clover Hope, Pitchfork, 25 Oct. 2026
Ole Miss scored two more touchdowns, and whatever momentum Texas had was replaced by that familiar sickening feeling.

— Mac Engel October 25, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of sickening

Adjective

But something about the Ferris wheel, summer sunsets and general overindulgence convinced me that Wisconsin State Fair might just be the perfect place for romantic declarations, first dates, and altogether gushy moments.

— Anya Sesay, jsonline.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Except for the unfettered devotion in the latter is replaced by swooping strings and a gushy chorus that merely offer an antiseptic veneer.

— Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 18 June 2026

Definition of gushy

Adjective

One defense, beginning in the late eighteen-hundreds, was flypaper, sheets of which were coated on one side with an oleaginous substance that lured flies, then permanently trapped them.

— David Owen, The New Yorker, 27 July 2024
Ted Cruz, the perennial front-runner, is smug and oleaginous—hated equally by his colleagues and the public.

— Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 26 Sep. 2022

Definition of oleaginous

Adjective

This is part of the natural aging process, and the visible signs of aging include looser texture, dry skin, and in some people oily skin that still feels dehydrated.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
Grease and oily stains dissolve more quickly in warmer water.

— Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of oily

Adjective

Book a sunset seating and pair unctuous langoustine nigiri and wagyu tataki with beautifully balanced cocktails flavored with yuzu, Japanese ume apricots, and cherry blossom.

— Rachel Howard, Travel + Leisure, 26 Sep. 2026
Tucci co-wrote the script (with his cousin, Joseph Tropiano) and co-directed with actor Campbell Scott, who also plays a supporting role in the film as an unctuous Cadillac sales man.

— Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of unctuous

Adjective

Much of the recent alarm stems from AI labs’ own stress tests—and their, at times, tardy or less-than-fulsome disclosures—in which frontier models are pushed to deceive, break rules, or resist shutdowns.

— Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Trump’s tepid comments sharply contrast with his more fulsome displays of support for Netanyahu in the past.

— Seung Min Kim, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of fulsome

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adulations

adulatory

adult

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“Adulatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adulatory. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of adulatory

adjective

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