Skip to content
GREMockTests
GRE vocabulary

obsequious

adjectiveHigh-frequency wordMore O words

excessively eager to please or obey, in a fawning way

Word origin: From Latin obsequi, to comply with.

In a sentence

Obsequious in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing obsequious in a sentence.

The obsequious waiter hovered constantly, agreeing with everything we said.

The obsequious assistant agreed with every remark the director made, however contradictory, hoping to secure a promotion.

Antonyms
domineeringassertivehaughty
Usage & nuance

Using “obsequious” well

Obsequious describes fawning, excessive eagerness to please or obey, always with a negative, contemptuous tone. It implies servile flattery rather than genuine courtesy.

Common questions

Questions about “obsequious

Obsequious (adjective) means excessively eager to please or obey, in a fawning way
Here is obsequious used in an example sentence: "The obsequious waiter hovered constantly, agreeing with everything we said." Another example: "The obsequious assistant agreed with every remark the director made, however contradictory, hoping to secure a promotion."
Common synonyms for obsequious include servile, fawning, sycophantic.
Antonyms of obsequious include domineering, assertive, haughty.
Obsequious clusters with servile, fawning, and sycophantic. Its antonyms domineering, assertive, and haughty mark the contrasting attitude.
Yes. Obsequious is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

Learn words the way the GRE tests them.

Vocabulary sticks when you meet it in real sentences. Practise these words inside text completion and sentence equivalence questions.