obsequiously

adverb

as in servilely

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 obsequiously Such a hearing is useful only because the players, Walz and Ellison, were grilled by people not obsequiously invested in them and who don’t hold back their accusations of malfeasance. — Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 7 Mar. 2026 Doctrines and designs which a few years since could find no mouthpiece out of a bar-room, or the piratical den of a filibuster, are now clothed with power by the authentic response of the bench of our highest judicatory, and obsequiously iterated from the oracular recesses of the National Palace. — Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obsequiously
  1. humbly
  2. submissively
  3. meekly
  4. deferentially
  5. sheepishly
  6. timidly
  7. lowly
Adverb
  • And, as j-hope so humbly mentioned, the awards are just another milestone to add to what has already been a massive year for the group.
    — Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Oeffling humbly downplays the appeal of his music, which has a familiar, early 2000s aesthetic that sounds indebted to the spirit of Yo La Tengo and Broken Social Scene, as well as contemporaries like Alex G.
    — Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of humbly
Adverb
  • Outwardly Smart behaved submissively, following her captors’ instructions while always looking for a way to escape.
    — KC Baker, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
Definition of submissively
Adverb
  • His recollections often take the form of dialogues in which interlocutors meekly acknowledge his overwhelming rhetorical advantage.
    — Ian Parker, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
  • When Luke tells him, meekly, not to touch Crystal, Max only wants to know who the young man is.
    — JP Mangalindan, Time, 31 July 2026
Definition of meekly
Adverb
  • Precedent thus gave the judge reason to deferentially review settlement terms.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 15 May 2026
  • Scorsese shoots them beautifully and deferentially.
    — Matt Weinstock, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026
Definition of deferentially
Adverb
  • Reluctantly, somewhat sheepishly, Van Lith wandered along the edge of the corn patch that August.
    — Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Green looked sheepishly at Linkof, who gave him the green light to spill the beans.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 24 July 2026
Definition of sheepishly
Adverb
  • By acting too timidly around its allies, Washington has missed opportunities.
    — Dafna H. Rand, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The other photo shows two of the cubs huddled in a corner of a habitat, with one eyeing the camera timidly.
    — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 6 Apr. 2026
Definition of timidly
Adverb
  • Yet his Parma team-mates ranked lowly too, suggesting this was a tactical instruction.
    — Aston Villa, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • And Colorado Springs Switchbacks earned a 3-1 win over lowly Sporting Kansas City.
    — Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 15 Apr. 2026
Definition of lowly

Browse Nearby Words

obsequious
obsequiously
obsequiousness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Obsequiously.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obsequiously. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of regimen

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All