Added 10 October 2026
obsequious
/əbˈsiːkwi.əs/ adjective
In Latin: obsequiōsus Wiktionary
adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about obsequious at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery.
-
Attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner.
obsequious shop assistants
Origin
From Middle English obsequyous, from Latin obsequiōsus (“complaisant, obsequious”), from obsequium (“compliance”), from obsequor (“comply with, yield to”), from ob (“in the direction of, towards”) + sequor (“follow”) (cf. sequel).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)