having or showing an excessive willingness to serve or please others; submissive or obedient, of or characteristic of a slave or slaves

servile work, servile obedience, servile flattery

Formal and Informal Expressions of servile

In different contexts, you can replace 'servile' with suitable alternatives. In a more formal setting, 'submissive, obedient' is apt. In informal speech or writing, 'brown-nosing, sucking up' is a commonplace synonym.

servile: Explore its Definition & Usage

servile Definition

1having or showing an excessive willingness to serve or please others; submissive or obedient
2of or characteristic of a slave or slaves

Using servile: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "servile" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

Example
She had a servile attitude towards her boss.
Example
The workers were treated in a servile manner.
Example
He refused to be servile to his superiors.

servile Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for servile

Antonyms for servile

Phrases with servile

servile work
work that is considered menial or degrading
Example
He was forced to do servile work like cleaning the toilets.
servile obedience
blind and unquestioning obedience to authority
Example
The soldiers showed servile obedience to their commanding officer.
servile flattery
excessive and insincere praise or admiration for someone
Example
He was annoyed by her servile flattery.

Origins of servile

from Latin 'servilis', meaning 'of a slave'

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Summary: servile in Brief

The term 'servile' [ˈsɜːvaɪl] describes a person who is excessively willing to serve or please others, often in a submissive or obedient manner. It can also refer to something that is characteristic of a slave or slaves. Examples include 'She had a servile attitude towards her boss' and 'The workers were treated in a servile manner.' The phrase 'servile work' refers to work that is considered menial or degrading.