SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
slavish
adjective
Showing excessive obedience or imitation with little independence.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Excessively obedient
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topSlavish condemns an excessive loss of independence. Compliant and deferential can be neutral or positive in other contexts.
Blindly imitative
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topSlavish imitation follows a model too closely. Derivative can acknowledge influence without implying complete loss of independent judgment.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See slavish in use
Slavish imitation of the sample essay left no room for an original argument.
Slavish imitation appeared when another apprentice copied every detail of a sample cloth, including an accidental mismatch, without considering the design's purpose.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
- SLAVISH Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
- Princeton WordNet 3.0: wn30-a-00790691, wn30-a-01689775
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license