Word of the Day

: February 2, 2022

obsequious

adjective ub-SEE-kwee-us

What It Means

Obsequious means "marked by or showing a fawning attentiveness"—in other words, "too eager to help or obey someone important."

// The director's crew included an entourage of obsequious film interns.

See the entry >

obsequious in Context

"The service here is as traditional as the decor, with the obsequious staff as cheery as they are attentive." — Anooska Tucker-Evans, The Courier Mail (Australia), 4 Dec. 2021

Did You Know?

According to the origin of the word, an obsequious person is more likely to be a follower than a leader. The word comes from Latin sequi, meaning "to follow"; the prefix ob- means "toward."