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
Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
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
Katy Siegel, Artforum, 2 June 2026
But neither of the prior proposals had the political backing of the governor, who has spent more than a year generating headlines and fawning conservative media coverage behind the idea of eliminating property taxes — a concept that could be a launch point for another presidential run.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 27 May 2026
But they're now considered the it guests at various events, with even fellow celebrities fawning over them.
—Dalila Muata, NBC news, 5 May 2026
The lawyer pulled up more than a dozen emails showing the once-budding actress fawning over the Oscar-winning producer and seeking his counsel like a father figure.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026
To celebrate Lola's 24th birthday, Ripa shared old footage from her daughter's childhood, which included a shot of the parents fawning over their little girl.
—Grace Gavilanes, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
And if fawning over flora is your thing, a new report by online casino Spinblitz might inspire you to book a getaway.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 14 Apr. 2026
Infantino’s gesture might strike people unacquainted with World Cup history as shamelessly fawning.
—Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
With the Republican Congress fawning at his feet, the ideal of democracy that the will of the people governs the nation is being buried under multimedia waves of the autocratic ambition of wealth.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 21 Feb. 2026
Noun
The fawning didn’t get him very far.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
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
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
But neither of the prior proposals had the political backing of the governor, who has spent more than a year generating headlines and fawning conservative media coverage behind the idea of eliminating property taxes — a concept that could be a launch point for another presidential run.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 27 May 2026
But they're now considered the it guests at various events, with even fellow celebrities fawning over them.
—Dalila Muata, NBC news, 5 May 2026
The lawyer pulled up more than a dozen emails showing the once-budding actress fawning over the Oscar-winning producer and seeking his counsel like a father figure.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026
To celebrate Lola's 24th birthday, Ripa shared old footage from her daughter's childhood, which included a shot of the parents fawning over their little girl.
—Grace Gavilanes, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
And if fawning over flora is your thing, a new report by online casino Spinblitz might inspire you to book a getaway.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 14 Apr. 2026
Infantino’s gesture might strike people unacquainted with World Cup history as shamelessly fawning.
—Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
With the Republican Congress fawning at his feet, the ideal of democracy that the will of the people governs the nation is being buried under multimedia waves of the autocratic ambition of wealth.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 21 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fawning
Adjective
-
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
-
The staff is wonderfully friendly and casual, providing seamless service without being obsequious.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The suit also criticizes ChatGPT’s propensity to agree with users, arguing that the service’s sycophancy can lead users to develop dangerous psychological attachment to the platform and cause users to pay money to unlock more generous usage quotas.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
1 June 2026
-
For my strident recommendations on how to combat AI sycophancy and not fall into its tight psychological grip, see the link here.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Ever the dedicated mother, Stacy runs to her adult daughter’s aid, fussing at her for not using a driver for her errands.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Your son is fussing in his car seat.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
That this man’s-man tough guy becomes utterly servile in the presence of a bunch of slack-casual bazillionaires is the cherry on top of the fascist sundae.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Julia was the first weekly TV series that starred a Black woman in a role that wasn't servile.—
Starr Rocque,
PEOPLE,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
After the meeting, Babbitt relished in the adoration of supporters who had waited nearly a decade to come to this point.—
Chase Hunter,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
-
New York Tendaberry, released in the fall of 1969, mostly consists of Nyro alone at the piano, delivering songs that eschewed and subverted most of the characteristics that had won her attention and adoration throughout the preceding decade.—
Sam Sodomsky,
Pitchfork,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
It’s known to cause drooling, diarrhea, colic, abdominal pain, depression and even death if your dog isn’t promptly treated.—
Amy DeYoung,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
-
Fans are already drooling over them.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
Fans love it, a rarity for a live-action anime adaptation, praising its perfect casting and slavish devotion to the original.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The economic order must remain subordinate to human dignity and the common good.—
Scott Simon,
NPR,
30 May 2026
-
The study examined 518 manager-subordinate relationships and found that this leadership approach enhanced both employee thriving and performance through stronger positive job attitudes.—
Mary Hemphill,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fawning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fawning. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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