1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in adoring
reflecting great admiration or devotion
an adulatory eulogy delivered at a beloved teacher's retirement party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
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
-
While these celebrity docs are hagiographic and formulaic, the interviews with Nadal and family and rivals like Federer and Novak Djokovic do push beyond the surface.—
Stuart Miller,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
-
But all the myth and sorrow around the dynasty mean many takes tilt hagiographic.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Mom and daughter share adoring glances at an event to celebrate International Women's Day in London.—
Kate Hogan,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
-
But a falling out with former owner Glen Taylor kept him from returning to his ‘Sota to give adoring fans another chance to thank him for 14 seasons with No. 21 on his back and Minnesota in his heart.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The concept of this many women vying for West is somewhat sickening to me.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
27 May 2026
-
So united and powerful were these Indigenous people that some of their enemies started to get desperate, that whiff of anxiety taking on a sickening stench.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
Adjective
-
Perhaps no father-daughter duo is cooler than Lenny and Zoë Kravitz, but that doesn't mean the rocker is immune to all the gushy feelings fatherhood brings.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The Social Security Administration sent a gushy, questionable email July 4 to millions of people collecting Social Security benefits and others.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
21 July 2025
Adjective
-
His widow doesn’t exactly look too broken up; less than a week after his death, Lee spots her snuggling with Dale’s brother Donald, an oleaginous candidate for governor played by Kyle MacLachlan.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
23 Sep. 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
Mok added that other foods may offer similar health benefits, especially for sleep, including walnuts, tart cherry juice, oily fish like salmon, and some herbal teas, although more research is needed.—
Stephanie Brown,
Verywell Health,
2 June 2026
-
Their texture is oily and slightly crunchy, though still somewhat chewy.—
Kirsten Nunez,
Martha Stewart,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
These are wines that pair beautifully with rich dishes, oily, unctuous fish with tomato, and pasta sauces that are rich and fatty.—
Valentina Di Donato,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
-
Here are details on the sweet, tiny bites of unctuous decadence, and the fluffy, bogus cones best left in the freezer.—
Jolene Thym,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Jefferson could be quite fulsome on this point.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
DeSantis, who signed the law in the Republican stronghold of The Villages in Central Florida, was joined by several other Republicans who touted its provisions, warned about potential threats to election integrity, and offered fulsome praise of the governor.—
Anthony Man,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adulatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adulatory. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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