as in obsequious
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as in sycophancy
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as in fussing
to use flattery or the doing of favors in order to win approval especially from a superior
a student who could not wait to fawn over the new teacher
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Recent Examples of fawning
Sarah Scott, Parents, 25 Aug. 2025
David Brooks, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026
And Williams and Storrie, the show’s stars, have become one of Hollywood’s favorite duos, with even fellow celebrities fawning over them.
—Natalie Bennett, NBC news, 10 Jan. 2026
The culprits were Gen Zers fawning over how cute cozy Snoopy was, often on social media.
—Malia Mendez, Twin Cities, 4 Jan. 2026
Cut to Yerin Ha’s Sophie Baek, the illegitimate daughter of the Earl of Penwood, fawning over the idea of attending a ball.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 25 Dec. 2025
Ebeling and Alvarez continued to shoot projects together and frequently sent each other mutually fawning messages.
—E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025
Instead of supporting allies in NATO and Ukraine against aggressive Russian territorial expansion, the United States has proposed drastic cuts to defensive military support measures and played fawning host to Vladimir Putin.
—Time, 28 Oct. 2025
But there were – among the fawning compliments and the conviction an elusive peace was near – bits of good news for Ukraine.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
Since his birth in 2014, photos and videos of Denny have been shared on social media, with users often fawning over him and calling him sweet.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
According to Gaiani, drinking or using drugs before social situations is a major sign that your teen may be using alcohol to cope with fawning and to feel more comfortable or confident.
—Sarah Scott, Parents, 25 Aug. 2025
Verb
The flattery must forever escalate and grow more fawning, until every follower’s dignity is shorn away.
—David Brooks, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026
And Williams and Storrie, the show’s stars, have become one of Hollywood’s favorite duos, with even fellow celebrities fawning over them.
—Natalie Bennett, NBC news, 10 Jan. 2026
The culprits were Gen Zers fawning over how cute cozy Snoopy was, often on social media.
—Malia Mendez, Twin Cities, 4 Jan. 2026
Cut to Yerin Ha’s Sophie Baek, the illegitimate daughter of the Earl of Penwood, fawning over the idea of attending a ball.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 25 Dec. 2025
Ebeling and Alvarez continued to shoot projects together and frequently sent each other mutually fawning messages.
—E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025
Instead of supporting allies in NATO and Ukraine against aggressive Russian territorial expansion, the United States has proposed drastic cuts to defensive military support measures and played fawning host to Vladimir Putin.
—Time, 28 Oct. 2025
But there were – among the fawning compliments and the conviction an elusive peace was near – bits of good news for Ukraine.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
Since his birth in 2014, photos and videos of Denny have been shared on social media, with users often fawning over him and calling him sweet.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fawning
Adjective
-
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have bristled at French President Emmanuel Macron’s diplomatic dualities, standing up to Trump in public while courting him in private with obsequious texts.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Jan. 2026
-
This approach is best exemplified by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who in June sent Trump an obsequious message praising his Middle Eastern diplomacy and lauding him for getting European countries to spend more on defense.—
Philip H. Gordon,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Ignore the sycophancy, slurs, and slop, and there is very little—but still enough to make one wonder.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
29 Jan. 2026
-
As mentioned at the start of this discussion, the usual assumptions are that either the user tells the AI to do so, or the AI opts to proceed in that direction due to being shaped by AI makers toward exercising sycophancy.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Emma looked around, confused at the adults fussing around him and too young, perhaps, to grasp the severity of the scene.—
Maeva Bambuck,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
-
As the migrants boarded, a man hoisted one of the passengers in the air, a fussing 8-month-old baby whose face was flushed red from the heat.—
Daniel Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
After all, the deal — for a long-forsaken project, an action-comedy franchise starring two aging stars — underscores the servile fealty of new Paramount owners Larry and David Ellison amid their recent maneuvering to take control of TikTok and Warner Bros. Discovery (the latter seemingly futile).—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Dec. 2025
-
Earlier this year, my colleague and bud Kelefa Sanneh suggested that music critics, as a lot, have gone soft—becoming submissive, overly agreeable, and, in some cases, nearly servile.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
1 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
As fans became critics, as hate replaced adoration, Dent shut down, his coach at Centennial High, Joshua Giles, described to the Southern California News Group.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Steady drums, chants and adoration roll for 90 minutes.—
Theo Lloyd-Hughes,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This indulgent treat already has fans drooling—and many Costco members have been running to their local bakeries to see if the Cookie Bar Cake is still in stock.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Duff wrote alongside a drooling-face emoji.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But letting the neck of her white t-shirt peek through at the top tells us that this outfit was made with both style and comfort in mind, not a slavish devotion to trends.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Meanwhile, a stylist has had to cancel his own honeymoon due to delays in the tour, indicating both slavish, life-altering devotion to the British pop star in her coterie, but also her obliviousness to such things going on.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
There can never again be a DED, even if Sherrill promises that Roehrenbeck will be subordinate to Garcia.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The inspector general's investigation found that Reece and Ruff — who were supervisor and subordinate — did not disclose their romantic relationship, which is a violation of a city executive order.—
Nushrat Rahman,
Freep.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fawning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fawning. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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