obsequious

adj.
Full of or exhibiting servile compliance; fawning.

[Middle English, from Latin obsequiōsus, from obsequium, compliance, from obsequī, to comply : ob-, to; see ob- + sequī, to follow.]

obsequiously ob·se'qui·ous·ly adv.
obsequiousness ob·se'qui·ous·ness n.

(ob-SEE-kwee-uhs, uhb-)

adjective
Full of or exhibiting servile compliance; fawning.

Etymology
Middle English, from Latin obsequiosus, from obsequium, compliance, from obsequi, to comply : ob-, to + sequi, to follow.

Usage
"This year's US PGA Championship has almost been overshadowed by the continuing and (to European ears) delightful row over money, though it is scarcely surprising that some of the US players possess egos too big to fit into a sponsored Cadillac, given the way the obsequious American media gush all over them. Sample: Davis Love III being interviewed on television yesterday. `Davis Love, major tournament winner, and major human being, welcome.'" — Martin Johnson, Golf: A charitable lot these Americans, The Daily Telegraph, 16 Aug 1999.

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Maureen Dowd opines that the only reason President Bush nominated Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court is the fact that she is a crony of his:

"W.'s case for her elevation is their closeness, because she is, as Alexander Hamilton put it, one of the 'obsequious instruments of his pleasure.' "

Link: The Trouble With Harry

Posted October 16, 2005.

See our Word Overheard blog to see interesting uses of strange words.

adjective

Excessively eager to serve or obey: menial, servile, slavish, subservient. See over/under.

adj

Definition: groveling, submissive
Antonyms: arrogant, assertive, brazen, confident, domineering, presumptuous

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IN BRIEF: Too ready to serve.

His obsequious attendance soon wore on my nerves.

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - slesk, servil, underdanig, krybende

Nederlands (Dutch)
onderdanig, onderworpen, gehoorzaam

Français (French)
adj. - obséquieux, servile

Deutsch (German)
adj. - unterwürfig

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - δουλοπρεπής, χαμερπής

Italiano (Italian)
ossequioso, servile

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - servil

Русский (Russian)
подобострастный

Español (Spanish)
adj. - obsequioso

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - inställsam, krypande

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
谄媚的, 顺从的, 奉承的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 諂媚的, 順從的, 奉承的

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 아첨하는

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - こびへつらう, 追従的な, 卑屈な

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) خاضع, متذلل‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮מתרפס, להוט לשרת‬

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