fawning 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of fawningnext
as in obsequious

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fawning

2 of 3

noun

as in sycophancy

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Dissimilar Words

fawning

3 of 3

verb

present participle of fawn
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 fawning
Noun
Experts say that fawning is a stress response that some teens use to appease the people around them. — Sherri Gordon, Parents, 5 July 2026 The fawning didn’t get him very far. — Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
Verb
In Agamemnon’s memory, Clytemnestra is as soft as Helen is hard, as fawning as Helen is resentful. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 29 July 2026 Fuentes enjoyed a brief flare of mainstream publicity last year, culminating in a fawning interview with former Republican kingmaker and broadcaster Tucker Carlson. — Will Carless, USA Today, 10 July 2026 In recent weeks, Silicon Valley has been fawning over an AI model released by a lab in China. — Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026 Pelley’s fawning interview with then-president Biden tells a different story. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 June 2026 But the exhibition and the scholarship, though occasionally a bit fawning, show why the value of Lewis’s art doesn’t hang on these distinctions. — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 8 June 2026 Along for the ride is his fawning, idiotic buddy Stevie (Steve Little). — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 June 2026 The service Like pretty much everything at this hotel, the service is both smart and discreet—not fawning, but preemptive and always on alert. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 June 2026 And yet art-world institutions—including major museums, schools, commercial galleries, and publishing outlets—have mostly avoided the fawning capitulation of universities and Democrats, simply going quiet in the hope of escaping notice for the next three years. — Katy Siegel, Artforum, 2 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fawning
  1. obsequious
  2. sycophancy
  3. fussing
  4. servile
  5. adoration
  6. drooling
  7. slavish
  8. worship
Adjective
  • As a friend — her friends all know that Bobbi was singular — ever thoughtful, never obsequious, sometimes obstinate, always honest.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 6 July 2026
  • To cede all of that ground to the executive, and to do so in such an obsequious way, is shameful.
    — KEN BURNS, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2026
Definition of obsequious
Noun
  • Until very recently, this sycophancy would have been obviously disqualifying for the role.
    — Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026
  • The conversations on stage ranged from how to tackle a growing AI divide between the global north and the global south to technical solutions for mitigating AI risks like models engaging in deception and sycophancy.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 9 July 2026
Definition of sycophancy
Verb
  • Similar to Egypt after its collapse earlier in the week, Switzerland exited fussing about the officiating.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 12 July 2026
  • Yes, teaching by example is often a better way of handling a challenge than fussing about it.
    — Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 17 June 2026
Definition of fussing
Adjective
  • Unfortunately, Trump takes servile flattery as his due.
    — Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026
  • Of course, all of this convenient acquiescence will sound familiar in the United States, where our own Congress and Department of Justice have been nothing if not servile to a brazenly corrupt executive.
    — Daniel Alarcón, New Yorker, 4 June 2026
Definition of servile
Noun
  • His death sparked an outpouring of adoration from his Sopranos’ castmates, among others.
    — Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • One, a delight for the kitchen — the pressure, the camaraderie, the artist's heart, the pirate's adoration of heat and knives — and, another, hard drugs.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026
Definition of adoration
Verb
  • While drooling during sleep can conjure scary thoughts of a health problem, experts say the habit is nothing to worry about — though there are still certain signs to watch for.
    — Gavin Escott, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026
  • If your pet is vomiting, drooling, showing weakness or having trouble swallowing or breathing, head directly to a veterinary hospital.
    — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2026
Definition of drooling
Adjective
  • Because slavish inferiority did not befit his spirit.
    — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
  • While many of the building’s original features—including the soaring stucco ceilings decorated with a sun motif - have been preserved, the look and feel are more 21st-century magpie than slavish historical reverence.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Apr. 2026
Definition of slavish
Noun
  • People are less likely to go to religious services or to places of worship.
    — Taylor Seely, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026
  • But Zay’s appetite is far too hearty to settle for siloed genre worship or nostalgia bait.
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 29 July 2026
Definition of worship

Browse Nearby Words

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fawning
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Cite this Entry

“Fawning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fawning. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fawning

Nglish: Translation of fawning for Spanish Speakers

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