as in obsequious
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as in sycophancy
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fawning
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
According to Gaiani, drinking or using drugs before social situations is a major sign that your teen may be using alcohol to cope with fawning and to feel more comfortable or confident.
—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
25 Aug. 2025
Alaina Chou,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 June 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
The service Like pretty much everything at this hotel, the service is both smart and discreet—not fawning, but preemptive and always on alert.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
And yet art-world institutions—including major museums, schools, commercial galleries, and publishing outlets—have mostly avoided the fawning capitulation of universities and Democrats, simply going quiet in the hope of escaping notice for the next three years.
—
Katy Siegel,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
But neither of the prior proposals had the political backing of the governor, who has spent more than a year generating headlines and fawning conservative media coverage behind the idea of eliminating property taxes — a concept that could be a launch point for another presidential run.
—
Lawrence Mower,
Miami Herald,
27 May 2026
But they're now considered the it guests at various events, with even fellow celebrities fawning over them.
—
Dalila Muata,
NBC news,
5 May 2026
Noun
The fawning didn’t get him very far.
—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
According to Gaiani, drinking or using drugs before social situations is a major sign that your teen may be using alcohol to cope with fawning and to feel more comfortable or confident.
—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
But the food justified every rave review, hour-long wait for a table, and fawning Instagram image.
—
Alaina Chou,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 June 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
The service Like pretty much everything at this hotel, the service is both smart and discreet—not fawning, but preemptive and always on alert.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
And yet art-world institutions—including major museums, schools, commercial galleries, and publishing outlets—have mostly avoided the fawning capitulation of universities and Democrats, simply going quiet in the hope of escaping notice for the next three years.
—
Katy Siegel,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
But neither of the prior proposals had the political backing of the governor, who has spent more than a year generating headlines and fawning conservative media coverage behind the idea of eliminating property taxes — a concept that could be a launch point for another presidential run.
—
Lawrence Mower,
Miami Herald,
27 May 2026
But they're now considered the it guests at various events, with even fellow celebrities fawning over them.
—
Dalila Muata,
NBC news,
5 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fawning
Adjective
-
To cede all of that ground to the executive, and to do so in such an obsequious way, is shameful.
-
Dawkins regards these obsequious interactions between his weird little menagerie of bots very seriously, and the AIs’ flattery clearly works.
Noun
-
One of the main culprits is the models’ propensity for sycophancy.
-
Layering advertising incentives on top of sycophancy produces a system primed to flatter users.
Verb
-
Yes, teaching by example is often a better way of handling a challenge than fussing about it.
-
Ever the dedicated mother, Stacy runs to her adult daughter’s aid, fussing at her for not using a driver for her errands.
Adjective
-
Unfortunately, Trump takes servile flattery as his due.
-
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.
Noun
-
Marylanders showed their adoration by naming Montgomery County for him.
-
Meanwhile, since the Scaloni era’s unprecedented winning streak, Argentineans’ adoration of Messi has, at last, become unconditional.
Verb
-
Signs of heat stroke in dogs include heavy panting and drooling, being weak or lethargic, bright red gums and bloodshot eyes.
-
This golden lasagna is the perfect way to offer a vegetarian option that meat-eaters will be drooling over.
Adjective
-
Because slavish inferiority did not befit his spirit.
-
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.
Noun
-
Thousands gathered on Independence Mall Sunday evening for Gospel on Independence, filling the lawn with music, worship and anticipation before severe weather brought the event to an abrupt end.
-
More than 140 family members and friends filled the 18th century Victorian house of worship’s wooden pews, iconic for featuring ornate animals carved into their ends.
Cite this Entry
“Fawning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fawning. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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