Synonym Chooser

How is the word slavish distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of slavish are obsequious, servile, and subservient. While all these words mean "showing or characterized by extreme compliance or abject obedience," slavish suggests abject or debased servility.

the slavish status of migrant farm workers

When is obsequious a more appropriate choice than slavish?

While in some cases nearly identical to slavish, obsequious implies fawning or sycophantic compliance and exaggerated deference of manner.

waiters who are obsequious in the presence of celebrities

When might servile be a better fit than slavish?

While the synonyms servile and slavish are close in meaning, servile suggests the mean or fawning behavior of a slave.

a political boss and his entourage of servile hangers-on

When can subservient be used instead of slavish?

The meanings of subservient and slavish largely overlap; however, subservient implies the cringing manner of one very conscious of a subordinate position.

domestic help was expected to be properly subservient

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 slavish Nonetheless, the film’s tension is almost immediately diffused by a slavish devotion to the facts. Gregory Nussen, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2025 Yet in Kim’s slavish dedication to the Jeju haenyeo’s testimony, many questions that arise in this setting are left unexplored. Geoffrey Bunting, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2024 By the beginning of 1956, some American communists openly blamed the poor state of their party on Moscow’s ideological inflexibility—and their own leaders’ slavish obedience to Soviet officials. Jeremy Friedman, Foreign Affairs, 17 July 2024 But the final opening skates through Joan dunking her face in an ice bath, arriving at the studio, and then returning home to the slavish Carol Ann. Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 29 June 2024 See All Example Sentences for slavish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slavish
Adjective
  • In addition to thinking about how to escape John’s imitative poetry and scholasticism, Constantine had to consider his own future.
    Gregory Jusdanis, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
  • In Roeck’s picture, competitive, rather than imitative, habits of mind rose from religious warfare, establishing a cutthroat system of cultural and economic innovation which lasts to this day.
    Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
Adjective
  • Some Wordlers also play Competitive Wordle against friends, family, the Wordle Bot or even against me, your humble narrator.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The humble butter dish, once a purely practical necessity, is enjoying a significant revival, now being showcased on countertops and dining tables in vessels that are both stylish and functional.
    Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Bahrain is ruled by Sunnis and has a mostly Shiite population permanently restless over its servile condition.
    Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 13 June 2025
  • His servile defense secretary has threatened to deploy the military in other cities.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 June 2025
Adjective
  • Weaknesses: About that quarterback: Caleb Williams was drafted No. 1 overall into a pretty favorable situation, making his rookie season an abject failure (particularly relative to the No. 2 pick).
    Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 26 Aug. 2025
  • Weapons plays along the same lines in this sub-genre’s sandbox, too, denying easy catharsis after wracking viewers’ nerves with its combination of pitch-black humor, abject grief, and superbly conducted jump scares.
    Andy Crump, Time, 9 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • As injuries mounted up, the more formulaic Arsenal became, and the yearning for someone more expressive grew.
    Art de Roché, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
  • However, despite the model appearing somewhat formulaic, Kishton emphasized that collaborative care programs vary across institutions.
    MSNBC Newsweek, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Slavish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slavish. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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