1
as in imitative
using or marked by the use of something else as a basis or model
slavish imitations of the great masters will never make you a painter in your own right
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in humble
showing, expressing, or offered in a spirit of humility or unseemly submissiveness
the assistant's slavish agreement with his boss's every thought, no matter how half-baked
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of slavish
Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s Democratic opponents have expressed horror at his slavish flattery of Putin but have failed to articulate a coherent Russia strategy of their own.
—
Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2020
Feud and American Horror Story creator Murphy purchased the Brown House in 2022 and set about renovating it and decorating it in an eclectic style that wasn’t slavish to its mid-century roots.
—Degen Pener, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 May 2024
But California’s governor was utterly slavish in the role of dutiful party soldier, repeatedly extolling Biden’s performance with a rat-a-tat of statistics — a Newsom hallmark — on falling inflation, rising employment and other favorable barometers.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2023
After the script was poorly received by De Laurentiis, Herbert took one last stab at trying to pull it in a less lengthy/slavish direction.
—Max Evry, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for slavish
Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2020
Feud and American Horror Story creator Murphy purchased the Brown House in 2022 and set about renovating it and decorating it in an eclectic style that wasn’t slavish to its mid-century roots.
—Degen Pener, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 May 2024
But California’s governor was utterly slavish in the role of dutiful party soldier, repeatedly extolling Biden’s performance with a rat-a-tat of statistics — a Newsom hallmark — on falling inflation, rising employment and other favorable barometers.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2023
After the script was poorly received by De Laurentiis, Herbert took one last stab at trying to pull it in a less lengthy/slavish direction.
—Max Evry, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for slavish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slavish
Adjective
-
The social self is avoidance-based, conforming, imitative, predictable, planned, and hardworking.—
Ellen Choi,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
-
Not surprisingly, Renaissance architects and writers ended up contriving very similar imitative strategies.—
Mario Carpo,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2025
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
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Instead, Ram is using the humble 3.6 L Pentastar V6.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
His co-stars, like Will Ferrell’s savage Mugatu, Owen Wilson’s stoner hottie Hansel, and Nathan Lee Graham’s servile Todd — all so precise and well-defined in the original’s ravelike milieu — are doomed to retrace their old steps here.—
Sean Malin,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2024
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These officials could, in turn, redistribute some of their private goods among their own servile lieutenants, but the monarch retained ultimate power to grant or revoke their privileged status.—
Serhiy Kudelia,
Foreign Affairs,
27 Feb. 2014
Adjective
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Your inability to establish a rational, functional and legal system of immigration is an abject failure on your part.—
Peter Cunningham,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2025
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That, Spoelstra said, has been helped by getting greater stability with the rotation, including Andrew Wiggins filling a void that had been the abject disinterest of Jimmy Butler.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Sporting a red Valentino blazer with peaked lapels and a matching sash, along with a slim pair of flared trousers, Domingo showed that even the most formulaic outfit can still be playful.—
Brett F. Braley-Palko,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
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But the more formulaic education becomes, the worse the outcomes seem to be.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Slavish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slavish. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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