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
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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
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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
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But all the myth and sorrow around the dynasty mean many takes tilt hagiographic.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
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The Gracious Visionary is a rather hagiographic film title for one’s life and work.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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
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But a radioactive cloud was wafting across Europe, setting off alarms in a Swedish laboratory nearly seven hundred miles away and slowly sickening tens of thousands of people.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
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That flight had twice aborted takeoff and declared an emergency due to an odor onboard that was sickening flight attendants.—
Aaron Cooper,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 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
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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
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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
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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
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Incorporate more fish and lean poultry into your diet, and aim to eat oily fish like salmon twice a week.—
Vanessa Caceres,
Verywell Health,
4 May 2026
-
Prickly pear seed oil adds shine, moringa leaf extract helps prevent breakage, and cactus flower extract adds bounce and elasticity—making this non-aerosol, talc-free powder formula a strong pick for oily hair that also needs body and texture.—
Alanna Martine Kilkeary,
Glamour,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Salting too far in advance (or worse, mixing salt into the patties) will draw moisture to the surface, rendering the meat bouncy rather than unctuous.—
Li Goldstein,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 Apr. 2026
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Ella Stiller arrives as Patience, Valerie’s social-media guru, Jack O’Brien sweetly plays her new hairdresser, and Andrew Scott, doing the most to eradicate any lingering Hot Priest vibes, plays a wildly unctuous NuNet executive.—
Jennifer Silverman,
Rolling Stone,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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 10 May. 2026.
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