Synonyms of slavish

slavish

adjective

ˈslā-vish 

1

as in imitative

using or marked by the use of something else as a basis or model

slavish imitations of the great masters will never make you a painter in your own right

Synonyms & Similar Words

• imitative
• imitation
• emulative
• formulaic
• mock
• copied
• apish
• unoriginal
• mimetic
• mimic
• misleading
• deceptive
• false
• fraudulent
• canned
• epigonic
• artificial
• synthetic
• factitious
• fake
• counterfeit
• sham
• perfunctory
• reproduced
• simulated
• bogus
• substitute
• duplicated
• routine
• reduplicated
• uninspired
• cribbed
• photocopied
• transcribed
• plagiarized
• forged
• backup
• cut-and-dried
• man-made

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• original
• true
• legitimate
• real
• authentic
• natural
• bona fide
• genuine
• archetypal
• classic
• ideal
• model

2

as in humble

showing, expressing, or offered in a spirit of humility or unseemly submissiveness

the assistant's slavish agreement with his boss's every thought, no matter how half-baked

Synonyms & Similar Words

• humble
• servile
• abject
• meek
• menial
• base
• sheepish
• sycophantic
• hangdog
• modest
• fawning
• unassuming
• lowly
• lamblike
• retiring
• unpretentious
• sycophant
• demure
• toadyish

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• superior
• arrogant
• haughty
• imperious
• supercilious
• lordly
• uppity
• high-handed

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

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