Servile
Adjective
Definition: Showing or characteristic of an excessive willingness to serve or please others; obedient or submissive.
Definition: Of or characteristic of a slave or slaves.
Synonyms: Subservient, Obsequious, Slavish, Submissive
Antonyms: Independent, Assertive, Dominant, Free
- The servile waiter never spoke up for himself, always doing whatever the customers demanded.
- The servile laborers toiled under harsh conditions, completely subject to their masters.
- Think of "servant" and how they are often expected to be servile and obedient.
Etymology:
Middle English via Old French from Latin 'servilis', from 'servus' meaning 'slave'.
Historical Usage:The term has been used to describe submission and being like a slave since Middle English and has retained its meaning throughout history.
Related Idioms:
"Servile work"
Explanation:Refers to menial tasks or labor that is considered lowly or demeaning.
Misconceptions:
Servile is simply a synonym for "submissive".
Explanation:While servile does describe someone who is submissive, it specifically carries connotations of being obedient like a slave, highlighting a lack of independence.