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
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Carol, a reclusive and disgruntled bestselling romantasy author, exhorts her reticent audience of five immune English speakers to reclaim human agency against the milquetoast, obsequious blob and join her in a quest to reverse the happiness apocalypse.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
8 Nov. 2025 -
Might the show — with its army of all-knowing, obsequious entities consuming humanity — be a metaphor for the dangers of artificial intelligence?—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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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
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As the migrants boarded, a man hoisted one of the passengers in the air, a fussing 8-month-old baby whose face was flushed red from the heat.—
Daniel Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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With five blades sandwiched between two moisturizing bars, this razor speeds up the entire process (no fussing around with shaving cream), nourishing dry skin and making nicks a rare occurrence.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Researchers and even users can alter these personas through technical tweaks, as many ChatGPT users found out earlier this year when the OpenAI service fluctuated between personalities that were either gushing and sycophantic or emotionally distant.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
3 Jan. 2026
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In our first exchanges, my noncommittal 10-word texts prompted hundreds of words in response, much of them sycophantic.—
Amogh Dimri,
The Atlantic,
2 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But critics and former employees who spoke with CNN say the AI company has long known of the dangers of the tool’s tendency toward sycophancy – repeatedly reinforcing and encouraging any kind of input – particularly for users who are distressed or mentally ill.—
Allison Gordon,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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The company had also strengthened ChatGPT’s mental health guardrails at various points after Adam's death in April, especially after GPT-4o faced scrutiny over its excessive sycophancy.—
Angela Yang,
NBC news,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Two years ago, she got fired from her $196,551 hack sinecure at the Cannabis Control Commission for not sufficiently kowtowing to the woke mob.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
22 Nov. 2025
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Flattering, placating, and kowtowing only seem to spark escalating demands while defiance risks retaliation.—
Jeff Kingston,
Time,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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After all, the deal — for a long-forsaken project, an action-comedy franchise starring two aging stars — underscores the servile fealty of new Paramount owners Larry and David Ellison amid their recent maneuvering to take control of TikTok and Warner Bros. Discovery (the latter seemingly futile).—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Dec. 2025
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Earlier this year, my colleague and bud Kelefa Sanneh suggested that music critics, as a lot, have gone soft—becoming submissive, overly agreeable, and, in some cases, nearly servile.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
1 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Try driving eastward, on Palmetto Park Road or Glades or Camino Real, to get to City Hall, the downtown library, Mizner Park, places of worship in east Boca or to our beautiful beaches.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Jan. 2026
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Investigators said the shooter or shooters fled from the house of worship, likely traveling north on Redwood Road.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
8 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Toadying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toadying. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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