obsequiousness
Servile flattery behavior
Obsequiousness is excessive eagerness to please or obey, especially toward someone in authority.
The word carries contempt—it suggests servility that degrades the person showing it: His obsequiousness around the boss made everyone uncomfortable.
Where deference might be appropriate, obsequiousness goes further, becoming fawning or sycophantic.
Obsequious behavior toward authority
- toadyingObsequious behavior seeking favor
- bootlickingServile flattery for advantage
- grovelingDemeaning self-abasement before another
- kowtowingSubmissive display of respect
flattery · adulation · brown-nosing · apple-polishing · fawner · toady · sycophant · flatterer
Excessive willingness to please
- deferenceYielding to another's judgment
- submissivenessDisposition to obey others
- docilityReadiness to submit
- meeknessGentle, unassertive disposition
compliance · acquiescence · obedience · subordination · self-abasement · self-effacement · humility · passivity
Calculated effort to please
- sweet-talkingPersuading through flattery
- smooth-talkingCharmingly persuasive in speech
- wheedlingPersuading through flattery
- cajolingPersuading through flattery
blandishment · soft-soaping · buttering up · currying favor · insinuation · manipulation · honeyed words · glib
sycophancy
Obsequious behavior toward authority
- toadyingObsequious behavior seeking favor
- bootlickingServile flattery for advantage
- grovelingDemeaning self-abasement before another
kowtowing · flattery · adulation · brown-nosing · apple-polishing · fawner · toady · sycophant · flatterer · yes-man
servility
Excessive willingness to please
- deferenceYielding to another's judgment
- submissivenessDisposition to obey others
- docilityReadiness to submit
meekness · compliance · acquiescence · obedience · subordination · self-abasement · self-effacement · humility · passivity · timidity
charm offensive
Calculated effort to please
- sweet-talkingPersuading through flattery
- smooth-talkingCharmingly persuasive in speech
- wheedlingPersuading through flattery
cajoling · blandishment · soft-soaping · buttering up · currying favor · insinuation · manipulation · honeyed words · glib · slick
- flatteryflatter, praise, flattery, compliment, compliments
- submissivenesssubmissiveness, docility, meekness, obedience, tractability
- sycophancyfawning, toadying, groveling, kowtowing, brown-nosing
- sycophantssycophant, sycophants, toady, toadies, bootlicker
- submissionsubmission hold, submitting, surrendering, capitulation, yielding
- etiquettemanners, politeness, etiquette, table manners, courtesy
obsequiousnessarrogance
Excessive self-importance
haughtiness · superciliousness · condescension · defiance · insolence
obsequiousnessconceit
Exaggerated self-admiration
pomposity · egotism · narcissism · self-importance · vanity
obsequiousnessboldness
Fearless readiness to act
assertiveness · candor · forthrightness · bluntness · frankness