SUBSERVIENT Synonyms: 151 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'subservient' distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of subservient are obsequious , servile , and slavish . While all these words mean "showing or characterized by extreme compliance or abject obedience," subservient implies the cringing manner of one very conscious of a subordinate position. // domestic help was expected to be properly subservient

Q: When could 'obsequious' be used to replace 'subservient'?

In some situations, the words obsequious and subservient are roughly equivalent. However, obsequious implies fawning or sycophantic compliance and exaggerated deference of manner. // waiters who are obsequious in the presence of celebrities

Q: When is it sensible to use 'servile' instead of 'subservient'?

The meanings of servile and subservient largely overlap; however, servile suggests the mean or fawning behavior of a slave. // a political boss and his entourage of servile hangers-on

Q: Where would 'slavish' be a reasonable alternative to 'subservient'?

The words slavish and subservient can be used in similar contexts, but slavish suggests abject or debased servility. // the slavish status of migrant farm workers

subservient

adjective

Definition of subservient next

as in subordinate

very willing to obey someone else She was an equal partner in the marriage and not a subservient wife.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in secondary

having a less important role, job, or place as something else The employees used to build things by hand but now were subservient to automated equipment that handled much of production.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word subservient distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of subservient are obsequious, servile, and slavish. While all these words mean "showing or characterized by extreme compliance or abject obedience," subservient implies the cringing manner of one very conscious of a subordinate position.

domestic help was expected to be properly subservient

When could obsequious be used to replace subservient?

In some situations, the words obsequious and subservient are roughly equivalent. However, obsequious implies fawning or sycophantic compliance and exaggerated deference of manner.

waiters who are obsequious in the presence of celebrities

When is it sensible to use servile instead of subservient?

The meanings of servile and subservient largely overlap; however, servile suggests the mean or fawning behavior of a slave.

a political boss and his entourage of servile hangers-on

Where would slavish be a reasonable alternative to subservient?

The words slavish and subservient can be used in similar contexts, but slavish suggests abject or debased servility.

the slavish status of migrant farm workers

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of subservient This vision reflects the influence of Reformed Reconstructionism, a theology that advocates for a Christian theocracy, where secular government is subservient to biblical law. —

Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024 The loss of Syria as a reliable and subservient ally has likely irreparably damaged Iran’s proxy network, which Tehran viewed as a defensive wall protecting Iran and a way of fighting countries with more powerful conventional militaries, current and former U.S. officials said. —

Abigail Williams, NBC News, 9 Dec. 2024 Russia’s remaining parastatal armed groups are subservient to the Kremlin and possess little capacity to operate autonomously. —

Julian G. Waller, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2024 This sci-fi film takes viewers to a near future where our main character Nick (Michele Morrone), a construction foreman struggling to manage his family while his wife Maggie (Madeline Zima) battles a serious illness, turns to a subservient robot named Alice (played by Fox) for help. —

Travis Bean, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for subservient

Recent Examples of Synonyms for subservient

Adjective

For many, the thrill of these stories, especially in the romance genre, is that heroines no longer derive power directly from their relationships with men and in turn they are not seen as subordinate to hero’s goals.

— Rebecca Scofield / Made by History, TIME, 21 Jan. 2025
To salvage the 155th Mechanized Brigade, a unit that Ukraine, France and Poland spent months and millions of dollars training and equipping, Ukrainian leaders have begun assigning its fresh but inexperienced subordinate units to the weary but experienced brigades in the Pokrovsk sector.

— David Axe, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025