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adjective
1.
slavishly submissive or obsequious; fawning: servile flatterers.
2.
characteristic of, proper to, or customary for slaves; abject: servile obedience.
3.
yielding slavishly; truckling (usually followed by to).
4.
extremely imitative, especially in the arts; lacking in originality.
5.
EXPANDbeing in slavery; oppressed.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin servīlis, equivalent to serv- (stem of servīre to be a slave) + -īlis -ile
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin servīlis, equivalent to serv- (stem of servīre to be a slave) + -īlis -ile
Related forms
ser·vile·ly, adverb
ser·vil·i·ty, ser·vile·ness, noun
non·ser·vile, adjective
non·ser·vile·ly, adverb
non·ser·vile·ness, noun
EXPANDo·ver·ser·vile, adjective
o·ver·ser·vile·ly, adverb
o·ver·ser·vile·ness, noun
o·ver·ser·vil·i·ty, noun
pseu·do·ser·vile, adjective
pseu·do·ser·vile·ly, adverb
un·ser·vile, adjective
un·ser·vile·ly, adverb
COLLAPSESynonyms
1, 2. cringing, sycophantic. Servile, menial, obsequious, slavish characterize one who behaves like a slave or an inferior. Servile suggests cringing, fawning, and abject submission: servile responses to questions. Menial applies to that which is considered undesirable drudgery: the most menial tasks. Obsequious implies the ostentatious subordination of oneself to the wishes of another, either from fear or from hope of gain: an obsequious waiter. Slavish stresses the dependence and labori-ous toil of one who follows or obeys without question: slavish attentiveness to orders. 2. mean, base, low.
1, 2. cringing, sycophantic. Servile, menial, obsequious, slavish characterize one who behaves like a slave or an inferior. Servile suggests cringing, fawning, and abject submission: servile responses to questions. Menial applies to that which is considered undesirable drudgery: the most menial tasks. Obsequious implies the ostentatious subordination of oneself to the wishes of another, either from fear or from hope of gain: an obsequious waiter. Slavish stresses the dependence and labori-ous toil of one who follows or obeys without question: slavish attentiveness to orders. 2. mean, base, low.
Antonyms
1. aggressive. 2. exalted.
1. aggressive. 2. exalted.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Servile
is an SAT word you need to know.
So is despot. Does it mean:
| to compel by force, intimidation, or authority, especially without regard for individual desire or volition |
| a king or other ruler with absolute, unlimited power, or any tyrant or oppressor |
Collins
World English Dictionary
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
servile
1382, from L. servilis "of a slave, servile," from servus "slave" (see serve). Earliest sense was legal, servile work being forbidden on the Sabbath; sense of "cringing, fawning" first recorded 1605.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Word Dynamo Rating For Servile
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