servile

S1E1R1V4I1L1E1
UK/ˈsɜː(ɹ)ˌvaɪl/US/ˈsəɹ.vəl/US/ˈsəɹˌvaɪl/

adjective

Excessively eager to please; obsequious.

“a servile letter”

Similar
abjectduteousmeekslavishsubmissivesubservientbootlickingfawning
Opposite
arrogantauthoritarianbossyradicalunservile
OriginMiddle English servyle ← Old French servil ← Latin servīlis →
UncommonScrabble 10
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Meanings

adjectiveservile (comparative more servile, superlative most servile)

comparative more servile · superlative most servile

  1. Excessively eager to please; obsequious.

    British “subjects” (not citizens, note) are just that: gleefully servile to the monarchy’s institutionalised inequality...

    2021, Ed Vulliamy, The Guardian
  2. Slavish or submissive.

    servile flattery    servile obedience

    1 more example

    Even fortune rules no more, O servile land!

    c. 1699 – 1703, Alexander Pope, “The First Book of Statius His Thebais”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintot, […], published 1717, →OCLC

    Synonyms: abject · Antonyms: arrogant, authoritarian

    1. Of or pertaining to slaves or slavery.

      Synonyms: abject · Antonyms: arrogant, authoritarian

  3. grammarNot belonging to the original root.

    a servile letter

  4. grammarNot sounded, but serving to lengthen the preceding vowel, like the e in tune.
nounservile (plural serviles)

plural serviles

  1. grammarAn element which forms no part of the original root.
  2. A slave; a menial.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveSlavish or submissive.

Similar
abject
Opposite
arrogantauthoritarian

adjectiveOf or pertaining to slaves or slavery.

Similar
abject
Opposite
arrogantauthoritarian
Similar
duteousmeekslavishsubmissivesubservient
Opposite
bossy
Broader
obedient
Narrower
ingratiatingparasiticalsycophanticcrawlingcringingcrouchingfawninggrovelingprostratesneakingsnivelingcajolingcoaxingwheedling
Opposite
radical

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivesubmissive or fawning in attitude or behavior

Similar
bootlickingfawningsycophanticobsequiousslavishsubservientsubmissiveslavelike
Opposite
unservile

adjectiverelating to or involving slaves or appropriate for slaves or servants

Similar
unfree
Also see
bootlickingcourtlyfawningmeekobsequiousquiescentsequacioussilentslavelikeslavishsubmissivesubservientsycophantictoadyishunfree

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinservīlis
  2. Old Frenchservil
  3. Middle Englishservyle
  4. Englishservile

From Middle English servyle, from Old French servil, servile, from Latin servīlis, from servus (“slave”). By surface analysis, serve + -ile.

More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian робски, сервилен
  • робски (robski)of or pertaining to a slave
  • сервилен (servilen)slavish or submissive
  • раболепен (rabolepen)slavish or submissive
Chinese Mandarin 低三下四
  • 低三下四 (dīsānxiàsì)slavish or submissive
Finnish orja-, alamainen
  • orja-of or pertaining to a slave
  • alamainenslavish or submissive
  • orjallinenslavish or submissive
  • orjamainenslavish or submissive
French servile
  • servileof or pertaining to a slave
German sklavisch, sklavisch
  • sklavischof or pertaining to a slave
  • sklavischslavish or submissive
  • unterwürfigslavish or submissive
  • servilslavish or submissive
  • hündischslavish or submissive
Greek δουλικός
  • δουλικός (doulikós)slavish or submissive
Irish moghach, uiríseal
  • moghachslavish or submissive
  • uirísealslavish or submissive
Italian servile, adulatore
  • servileslavish or submissive
  • adulatoreslavish or submissive
  • leccapiedislavish or submissive
Japanese 奴隷の, 卑屈な
  • 奴隷の (dorei no)of or pertaining to a slave
  • 卑屈な (hikutsu na)slavish or submissive
Latin humilis, obnoxius
  • humilisslavish or submissive
  • obnoxiusslavish or submissive
  • vernīlisslavish or submissive
Polish lokajski, niewolniczy
  • lokajskislavish or submissive
  • niewolniczyslavish or submissive
  • uniżonyslavish or submissive
Portuguese servil, servil
  • servilof or pertaining to a slave
  • servilslavish or submissive
Romanian servil, slugarnic
  • servilof or pertaining to a slave
  • slugarnicof or pertaining to a slave
Russian ра́бский, подобостра́стный
  • ра́бский (rábskij)of or pertaining to a slave
  • подобостра́стный (podobostrástnyj)slavish or submissive
  • раболе́пный (rabolépnyj)slavish or submissive
  • холо́пский (xolópskij)slavish or submissive
Spanish servil, servil
  • servilof or pertaining to a slave
  • servilslavish or submissive
Swedish slav-, servil
  • slav-of or pertaining to a slave
  • servilslavish or submissive
  • devotslavish or submissive
  • fjäskigslavish or submissive
  • underdånigslavish or submissive
Cite this entry
APA

servile. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/servile

MLA

“servile.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/servile. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “servile,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/servile.

Source: servile on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.