subservient

4 synonyms and 3 antonyms for subservient, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Adj — Excessively willing to obey or serve others, often to an unhealthy degree.

Synonyms

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

instrumental

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

submissive slavish implemental

Synonyms by Meaning

1. adj

Excessively willing to obey or serve others, often to an unhealthy degree.

“He was criticized for being subservient to his boss's every whim.”

instrumental submissive slavish implemental

Opposites

insubordinate rebellious

2. adj

Serving a secondary or supporting purpose to something else.

“In this arrangement, personal interests are subservient to the group's goals.”

Opposites

principal

How to use subservient

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

subservient to blindly subservient

Etymology

From Latin subserviens, present participle of subservio, "to serve under."

Full origin of subservient →

Frequently asked questions

What does “subservient” mean?

The word “subservient” means excessively willing to obey or serve others, often to an unhealthy degree. In plain terms, being overly obedient, or existing to support something more important.

How do you use “subservient” in a sentence?

Here is “subservient” used in a sentence: “He was criticized for being subservient to his boss's every whim.”

What part of speech is “subservient”?

“Subservient” is an adjective.

Where does the word “subservient” come from?

The word “subservient” comes from Latin. From Latin subserviens, present participle of subservio, "to serve under.".

How many meanings does “subservient” have?

“Subservient” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: excessively willing to obey or serve others, often to an unhealthy degree.

People also searched

principal instrumental rebellious submissive insubordinate slavish

Nearby words

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