as in humble
showing, expressing, or offered in a spirit of humility or unseemly submissiveness
had always maintained a servile attitude around people with money
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Recent Examples of servile
Arriving at Egg Island sporting bohemian attire and a distinctly non-deferent attitude, Monk swiftly arouses the suspicions of Horton and his stuffy, servile housekeeper Mrs. McMurray (Kristine Nielsen).
—
Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Sep. 2023
The statue features a godlike Lincoln astride a kneeling, formerly enslaved man in a loincloth — his servile gratitude could not be more apparent.
—Peter Marks, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2023
Will Dagger, too, as a farmhand who feels too deeply for people who rarely acknowledge his presence, makes a memorable virtue of the character’s servile role.
—Peter Marks, Washington Post, 14 July 2023
Responding to her questionnaire, Cyril Connolly, the editor of Horizon magazine, pointed out that the aggressive aims of fascist states required a populace that was ‘rendered both warlike and servile’ – the ‘stultifying’, in other words, ‘of the human race’.
—Sarah Watling, Time, 13 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for servile
Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Sep. 2023
The statue features a godlike Lincoln astride a kneeling, formerly enslaved man in a loincloth — his servile gratitude could not be more apparent.
—Peter Marks, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2023
Will Dagger, too, as a farmhand who feels too deeply for people who rarely acknowledge his presence, makes a memorable virtue of the character’s servile role.
—Peter Marks, Washington Post, 14 July 2023
Responding to her questionnaire, Cyril Connolly, the editor of Horizon magazine, pointed out that the aggressive aims of fascist states required a populace that was ‘rendered both warlike and servile’ – the ‘stultifying’, in other words, ‘of the human race’.
—Sarah Watling, Time, 13 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for servile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for servile
Adjective
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By the time Napoleon invaded Egypt, in 1798, Alexandria had become a humble Ottoman port.—
Hannah Edgar,
ARTnews.com,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Instead, Ram is using the humble 3.6 L Pentastar V6.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Small mercies are welcome when the losses are this meek.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
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Sometimes, young players of his profile are quite meek — apologetic for their ability, even.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
The Athletic,
27 July 2024
Adjective
-
His first coaching hire (Nathaniel Hackett) was an abject disaster.—
Sean Keeler,
The Denver Post,
6 Jan. 2025
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Because any other result would have been an abject disaster.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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However, many rely on it mostly for menial tasks, such as playing music, asking questions or checking the weather.—
Haleluya Hadero and Wyatte Grantham-Philips,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Feb. 2025
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Born into a wealthy family in 1896 in Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture, Yamaguchi joined a society that renounced materialism at a young age, and its teachings included walking door-to-door offering menial labor in exchange for food.—
Nathan Pugh,
Smithsonian Magazine,
19 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Servile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/servile. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.
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