servility
Excessive fawning behavior
Servility is excessive eagerness to please or obey, suggesting a lack of self-respect or independence.
The word carries contempt—servility isn't just deference but degrading submission: His servility toward the boss disgusted his coworkers.
Where politeness respects social hierarchy, servility grovels within it.
Servile eagerness to please
- sycophancyObsequious behavior toward authority
- fawningExcessive insincere flattery
- grovelingDemeaning self-abasement before another
- cringingShrinking in discomfort
prostration · self-abasement · kowtowing · bootlicking · toadying · flattery · ingratiation · supplication
Lower position in hierarchy
- subjectionState of being controlled
- inferiorityLower status or quality
- lowlinessState of modest rank
- subjugationForcing into submission
vassalage · serfdom · bondage · thralldom · peasantry · underling · minion · lackey
Compliance with authority
- acquiescenceUnresisting acceptance
- docilityReadiness to submit
- meeknessGentle, unassertive disposition
- passivityState of non-resistance
yielding · conformity · pliability · tractability · submissiveness · tameness · resignation · deference
Fearful lack of courage
- diffidenceModest self-distrust
- self-effacementDownplaying one's importance
- spinelessnessLack of courage
- weaknessDeficiency in force
cowardice · pusillanimity · obsequious · unctuous · smarmy · simpering · sniveling · wheedling
obsequiousness
Servile eagerness to please
- sycophancyObsequious behavior toward authority
- fawningExcessive insincere flattery
- grovelingDemeaning self-abasement before another
cringing · prostration · self-abasement · kowtowing · bootlicking · toadying · flattery · ingratiation · supplication · debasement
subordination
Lower position in hierarchy
- subjectionState of being controlled
- inferiorityLower status or quality
- lowlinessState of modest rank
subjugation · vassalage · serfdom · bondage · thralldom · peasantry · underling · minion · lackey · flunky
obedience
Compliance with authority
- acquiescenceUnresisting acceptance
- docilityReadiness to submit
- meeknessGentle, unassertive disposition
passivity · yielding · conformity · pliability · tractability · submissiveness · tameness · resignation · deference · capitulation
timidity
Fearful lack of courage
- diffidenceModest self-distrust
- self-effacementDownplaying one's importance
- spinelessnessLack of courage
weakness · cowardice · pusillanimity · obsequious · unctuous · smarmy · simpering · sniveling · wheedling · cowed
- flatteryflatter, praise, flattery, compliment, compliments
- humilityhumbleness, humble, meekness, modesty, modest
- submissivenesssubmissiveness, docility, meekness, obedience, tractability
- sycophancyfawning, toadying, groveling, kowtowing, brown-nosing
- sycophantssycophant, sycophants, toady, toadies, bootlicker
- submissionsubmission hold, submitting, surrendering, capitulation, yielding
servilityassertiveness
Confident self-expression quality
boldness · defiance · rebelliousness · audacity · self-respect
servilityfreedom
Absence of constraint
liberty · independence · sovereignty · autonomy · self-government
servilityarrogance
Excessive self-importance
haughtiness · pride · conceit · superciliousness · imperiousness
serve, service, servant, servitude, servile, subservient, subservience, servilely, servitor