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GRE vocabulary

servile

adjectiveHigh-frequency wordMore S words

excessively willing to please or obey; submissive

Word origin: From Latin servus, slave.

In a sentence

Servile in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing servile in a sentence.

His servile flattery embarrassed everyone in the room.

His servile flattery of every superior earned him advancement but cost him the respect of his peers.

Antonyms
domineeringassertive
Usage & nuance

Using “servile” well

Servile means excessively submissive and eager to please, with a tone of demeaning self-abasement. It is far more negative than merely respectful or obedient.

Common questions

Questions about “servile

Servile (adjective) means excessively willing to please or obey; submissive
Here is servile used in an example sentence: "His servile flattery embarrassed everyone in the room." Another example: "His servile flattery of every superior earned him advancement but cost him the respect of his peers."
Common synonyms for servile include obsequious, subservient, fawning.
Antonyms of servile include domineering, assertive.
Clusters with obsequious, subservient, and fawning in Sentence Equivalence. Its antonyms domineering and assertive mark the opposite, self-possessed pole.
Yes. Servile 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.