as in prayerful
asking humbly
hated having to go before his boss like a supplicant beggar whenever he needed some time off to attend to personal matters
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in suppliant
one who asks earnestly for a favor or gift
the new governor soon had to deal with a long line of supplicants asking for jobs and other political favors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of supplicant
Matt Pottinger, Foreign Affairs, 10 Apr. 2024
Speakers seemed alternately angry and supplicant, aware, at some level, their efforts probably won’t work.
—Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 July 2021
Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
Even Putin, not known for sparing the blushes of supplicants, seems embarrassed on Erdogan’s behalf.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for supplicant
Adjective
For the first time in years, Xi appeared to have successfully positioned the United States as supplicant in the bilateral relationship.
—Matt Pottinger, Foreign Affairs, 10 Apr. 2024
Speakers seemed alternately angry and supplicant, aware, at some level, their efforts probably won’t work.
—Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 July 2021
Noun
Carney has transformed into a de facto spokesman for those middle powers, none of which want to turn into supplicants or get caught with their pants down between two superpowers, such as the United States and China, that are increasingly using coercion as a method of statecraft.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
Even Putin, not known for sparing the blushes of supplicants, seems embarrassed on Erdogan’s behalf.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for supplicant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for supplicant
Adjective
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The Sagrada Família was founded as an expiatory church, meaning that it would be financed by prayerful donations from people atoning for their sins.—
D. T. Max,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Pärt’s formulas, born out of long, prayerful periods with sacred texts, offer beauty in the warmth and friction of relationships: melody and tintinnabuli, word and the limits of language, sounds and silence.—
Jeffers Engelhardt,
The Conversation,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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And as happens with the testimonies of the suppliants at the Asclepieion, the stelae ferry the feelings and names of these distant others across the ages to us.—
Teju Cole,
New York Times,
12 Sep. 2023
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Like other Te Deums, the work is both laudatory and suppliant, petitioning the divine for continued mercy.—
Hannah Edgar,
chicagotribune.com,
21 Aug. 2021
Noun
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Gobert was chief among the beggars imploring his teammates for a shred of consistency on that end of the floor.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
27 Apr. 2026
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Antinous later shocked the other suitors by insulting and assaulting with a footstool an elderly beggar who had spoken to him in the palace hall.—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But the long-running saga involving the scion of a prominent and powerful family of local lawyers and solicitors took an unexpected turn this week when the South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned the murder convictions.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
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After the rogue’s gallery is introduced early on, nearly everyone except for Tim, Elliot, and Rebecca fades into the background, although delightfully, Emma Thompson nails her brief comedic role as a brusque solicitor handling George’s last will and testament.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
8 May 2026
Noun
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The drive-thru coffee house will take over the property previously occupied by TGI Fridays, which closed five years ago, said petitioner James Hus of the DVG Team.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
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The defendant is referred to here as the petitioner.—
Matthew Ablon,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Noun
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Thankfully, there are effective ways to phrase a response that successfully sets a boundary while preserving goodwill with the requester.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2026
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In Lexington, a school employee was caught discussing whether production costs could be inflated in hopes that a requester would give up.—
Paul Diego Craney,
Boston Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Supplicant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/supplicant. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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