obsequious
uhb-SEE-kwee-uhs
/əbˈsiːkwiəs/
Obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree; fawning and sycophantic.
Strongly negative; implies insincere, brown-nosed flattery and obedience to gain personal advantage.
The story behind the word. From Latin obsequiosus, from obsequium (compliance), from obsequi (to follow, comply), from ob- (after) + sequi (to follow). Literally following closely behind.
Word relationships
- sycophantic: Sycophantic emphasizes insincere flattery, while obsequious emphasizes fawning, slave-like attentiveness.
- assertive: Assertive means confidently expressing one's views, while obsequious means spinelessly agreeing.
Commonly confused with
- attentive: Attentive is polite and helpful, while obsequious is excessively fawning for personal gain.
Word family
- obsequiously (adverb): In an obsequious manner.
- obsequiousness (noun): Servile compliance or fawning.
Collocations
- obsequious behavior
- obsequious smile
- obsequious assistant
Example sentences
- "The king was surrounded by obsequious courtiers who praised his every word." A classic description of a fawning courtier.
Memory hook
Think of someone who is obsequious as being obsessed with sequels—always following right behind the star, hoping for a favor. Obsequious = Fawningly following behind.
When not to use
Do not use for genuine, healthy respect or polite deference.
Fun facts
- Obsequious shares the root sequi with sequence, sequel, and consequence.
Related words
Explore more words
adulation, flattery, flatter, solicitous, punctilious, compliant
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