English Explanatory Dictionary

servile

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Excessively eager to please; obsequious.
  2. Slavish or submissive.
  3. Of or pertaining to a slave.
  4. Not belonging to the original root.
  5. Not sounded, but serving to lengthen the preceding vowel, like the e in tune.
noun
  1. An element which forms no part of the original root.
  2. A slave; a menial.

Pronunciation

/ˈsɜː(ɹ)ˌvaɪl/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-servile.wav /ˈsəɹ.vəl/ /ˈsəɹˌvaɪl/

Word forms

servile more servile most servile serviles

Etymology

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

Synonyms

abject duteous meek servile slavish submissive subservient

Antonyms

arrogant bossy authoritarian radical

Related words

serve servant slave BDSM sadomasochism sycophant

Derived words

nonservile overservile semiservile servile arts servilely servileness servilism servility servilize unservile

Translations

Old Armenian: ցած Bulgarian: сервилен Bulgarian: раболепен Chinese Mandarin: 低三下四 Finnish: alamainen Finnish: orjallinen Finnish: orjamainen Galician: servil German: sklavisch German: unterwürfig German: servil German: hündisch Greek: δουλικός Irish: moghach Irish: uiríseal Italian: servile Italian: adulatore Italian: leccapiedi Japanese: 卑屈な Latin: humilis Latin: obnoxius Latin: vernīlis Middle English: serviable Middle English: servisable Plautdietsch: dommbleed Polish: lokajski Polish: niewolniczy Polish: uniżony Portuguese: servil Russian: подобостра́стный Russian: раболе́пный Russian: холо́пский Spanish: servil Swedish: servil Swedish: devot Swedish: fjäskig Swedish: underdånig Ottoman Turkish: ذلیل
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