fawning 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of fawningnext
as in obsequious

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fawning

2 of 3

noun

as in sycophancy

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Dissimilar Words

fawning

3 of 3

verb

present participle of fawn
as in fussing
to use flattery or the doing of favors in order to win approval especially from a superior a student who could not wait to fawn over the new teacher

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example 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 fawning
Noun
Experts say that fawning is a stress response that some teens use to appease the people around them. — Sherri Gordon, Parents, 5 July 2026 The fawning didn’t get him very far. — Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
Verb
But in recent years, Romo has been criticized for his preparation, for cutting off Nantz mid-sentence, for fawning over Josh Allen and other quarterbacks and for seeming pollyannish at times. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2026 That’s a potentially lucrative space as Europe ramps up military spending, but not one engineered for fawning praise from the White House. — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 20 Aug. 2026 In Agamemnon’s memory, Clytemnestra is as soft as Helen is hard, as fawning as Helen is resentful. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 29 July 2026 Fuentes enjoyed a brief flare of mainstream publicity last year, culminating in a fawning interview with former Republican kingmaker and broadcaster Tucker Carlson. — Will Carless, USA Today, 10 July 2026 In recent weeks, Silicon Valley has been fawning over an AI model released by a lab in China. — Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026 Pelley’s fawning interview with then-president Biden tells a different story. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 June 2026 But the exhibition and the scholarship, though occasionally a bit fawning, show why the value of Lewis’s art doesn’t hang on these distinctions. — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 8 June 2026 Along for the ride is his fawning, idiotic buddy Stevie (Steve Little). — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fawning
  1. obsequious
  2. sycophancy
  3. fussing
  4. servile
  5. adoration
  6. drooling
  7. slavish
  8. worship
Adjective
  • For instance, Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have become openly obsequious in sucking up to the DSA.
    — Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 20 Aug. 2026
  • As a friend — her friends all know that Bobbi was singular — ever thoughtful, never obsequious, sometimes obstinate, always honest.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 6 July 2026
Definition of obsequious
Noun
  • Anthropic's own researchers reached a similar conclusion in a paper presented at ICLR in 2024, finding that training on human preferences does not remove sycophancy and can encourage it, and that five leading assistants showed it consistently.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Until very recently, this sycophancy would have been obviously disqualifying for the role.
    — Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026
Definition of sycophancy
Verb
  • Similar to Egypt after its collapse earlier in the week, Switzerland exited fussing about the officiating.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 12 July 2026
  • Yes, teaching by example is often a better way of handling a challenge than fussing about it.
    — Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 17 June 2026
Definition of fussing
Adjective
  • Unfortunately, Trump takes servile flattery as his due.
    — Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026
  • Of course, all of this convenient acquiescence will sound familiar in the United States, where our own Congress and Department of Justice have been nothing if not servile to a brazenly corrupt executive.
    — Daniel Alarcón, New Yorker, 4 June 2026
Definition of servile
Noun
  • Sabrina is no Dolly, which isn’t a knock but a comment on the impossibility of any new artist ever enjoying the level of admiration and adoration that Parton did for most of her life.
    — David Kamp, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
  • So Big Part of what made Dolly exceptional was her broad appeal and universal adoration.
    — Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of adoration
Verb
  • Stuff like Caitlin Clark getting mugged with no foul being called, or Sophie Cunningham pointing at some obnoxious player, or ESPN drooling over a coach wearing a pro-trans shirt.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Video released by the Milwaukie Police Department shows Descamps sprawled in a hospital bed, his body limp, moaning and drooling, while medical staff stood nearby.
    — Brian Mann, NPR, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of drooling
Adjective
  • Because slavish inferiority did not befit his spirit.
    — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
  • While many of the building’s original features—including the soaring stucco ceilings decorated with a sun motif - have been preserved, the look and feel are more 21st-century magpie than slavish historical reverence.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Apr. 2026
Definition of slavish
Noun
  • Thus polytheistic worship of deities and monist philosophy are not opposed but rather different ways of reaching the divine.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Still, a moment for a little Dolly-worship seems somehow appropriate.
    — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of worship

Browse Nearby Words

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fawning
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Cite this Entry

“Fawning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fawning. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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