Standard Lemma guide

obsequiousness

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

The quality of being obsequious; servile compliance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: obsequience, obsequiosity, obsequity

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

abject or cringing submissiveness

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: servility, subservience

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: submissiveness

Narrower terms: sycophancy

History

Etymology

From Middle English obsequyousnesse, equivalent to obsequious + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

21 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: քծնանք (kʻcnankʻ) — quality of being obsequious
  • Armenian: քծինք (kʻcinkʻ) — quality of being obsequious
  • Bulgarian: раболепие (rabolepie) — quality of being obsequious
  • Dutch: kruiperigheid — quality of being obsequious
  • Dutch: onderworpenheid — quality of being obsequious
  • French: obséquiosité — quality of being obsequious
  • Georgian: პირმოთნეობა (ṗirmotneoba) — quality of being obsequious
  • German: Unterwürfigkeit — quality of being obsequious
  • Greek: δουλοπρέπεια (douloprépeia) — quality of being obsequious
  • Irish: spleá — quality of being obsequious
  • Italian: cortigianeria — quality of being obsequious
  • Italian: ossequiosità — quality of being obsequious
  • Japanese: 媚び (kobi) — quality of being obsequious
  • Korean: 아첨 함 (acheom ham) — quality of being obsequious
  • Latin: obsequium — quality of being obsequious
  • Latin: obsequentia — quality of being obsequious
  • Māori: patipati — quality of being obsequious
  • Scottish Gaelic: ùmhlachd — quality of being obsequious
  • Spanish: obsecuencia — quality of being obsequious
  • Spanish: obsequiosidad — quality of being obsequious
  • Telugu: దాస్యము (dāsyamu) — quality of being obsequious