fawn

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fawn distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of fawn are cower, cringe, toady, and truckle. While all these words mean "to behave abjectly before a superior," fawn implies seeking favor by servile flattery or exaggerated attention.

waiters fawning over a celebrity

When is it sensible to use cower instead of fawn?

The meanings of cower and fawn largely overlap; however, cower suggests a display of abject fear in the company of threatening or domineering people.

cowering before a bully

When might cringe be a better fit than fawn?

While the synonyms cringe and fawn are close in meaning, cringe suggests a bowing or shrinking in fear or servility.

a cringing sycophant

When would toady be a good substitute for fawn?

The synonyms toady and fawn are sometimes interchangeable, but toady suggests the attempt to ingratiate oneself by an abjectly menial or subservient attitude.

toadying to his boss

When is truckle a more appropriate choice than fawn?

Although the words truckle and fawn have much in common, truckle implies the subordination of oneself and one's desires or judgment to those of a superior.

truckling to a powerful lobbyist

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 fawn To add insult to injury, the Academy fawned and buzzed over Clint Eastwood (back row, center, left of statue)’s American Sniper, nominating it for six Academy Awards. Zach Schonfeld, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025 Scott wanted to be home, fawning over grandchildren. Jevon Phillips, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2025 The show is based on Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s comic books of the same name, but Midtown’s employees haven’t yet noticed that the TV Boys’ real-life Hughie Campbell Jr. is currently fawning over an anthology of Creepshow comics, marveling at the various artist changes. Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 4 Feb. 2025 Posey will be given a lot of rope, befitting a franchise icon who received almost nothing but fawning praise from the media and fan base since exploding onto the scene. Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fawn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fawn
Verb
  • As Harper, from Queensland, Australia, pet Olive and stroked her face gently, her furious golden retriever, named Cub, sat upright and appeared to frown at his owner for fussing anyone other than him.
    Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 2025
  • Video footage of the animals shows the eagle fussing at the coyote and trying to chase it off.
    Amanda Kooser, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
Verb
  • There’s nothing wrong with ogling a juicy rack of ribs or drooling over a hunk of brisket slowly smoking over hot coals.
    Katie Rife, EW.com, 11 May 2025
  • In the painting Meaningless, 2003, for example, the words meaningless, senseless, and irrelevant eventually give way to blather, blabber, babble, then to drivel and drool, and, finally, to blah-blah-blah.
    Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 May 2025
Verb
  • The Empire was a sinister, one-note shadow: faceless Storm Troopers, toadying fascistic generals, a cackling emperor, and of course Darth Vader, an enigmatic demon masked and cloaked in black.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025
  • The only other psychological need that rivals his thirst for toadying is the pursuit of .
    Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Unless Trump’s art of the deal is all about truckling to Putin.
    Maureen Dowd, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Garbarino enjoyed his time with the Southern river rats and mountain folk, and their refusal to truckle to authority delights him to this day.
    David Samuels, Town & Country, 18 Oct. 2013
Verb
  • Now he’s put them in the position of appearing ridiculous in order to kowtow yet again to CTU.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2025
  • Where the refusal of the Ukrainian president to don a suit for the Oval Office becomes a public symbol of his refusal to kowtow.
    Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 1 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fawn. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

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