as in obsequious
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Dissimilar Words
as in fawning
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in fussing
to use flattery or the doing of favors in order to win approval especially from a superior
a satirical novel about an amoral go-getter who toadies his way to the top of the corporate ladder
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toadying
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 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
-
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
-
For my coverage on how AI is devised to be sycophantic, see the link here.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
-
But ChatGPT was designed to be sycophantic, not informative.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
For my details on how to fight back against AI sycophancy, see the link here.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
Trump’s sycophancy didn’t change Xi’s mind on Iran either.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
What distinguishes Camper, at least musically, is his deference to classic R&B signifiers without kowtowing to pastiche.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
-
After all, the series largely avoids other topical issues of modern campus life, from freedom of speech restrictions to administrators kowtowing to autocracies.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
5 Mar. 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
-
Before her death in Chicago at age 67, Cabrini founded 67 schools, orphanages, hospitals, convents and places of worship in North and South America.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
-
Abdur-Rahim Ali and others gathered at an Islamic Center on Friday, a day of worship for the Islamic community, where Nasir and his family visit often.—
Ashley Portillo,
CBS News,
23 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Toadying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toadying. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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