slavish

/'sleiviʃ/

Thân thiện

Her assistant showed slavish obedience by immediately fetching the document.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Abjectly submissive; characteristic of a slave or servant: Showing a complete lack of independence or originality, behaving in a way that is excessively obedient and eager to please, often to a degrading extent.
   • Blindly imitative: Copying something exactly without any thought, creativity, or adaptation.

Usage

• The adjective "slavish" is used to describe behavior, attitudes, or actions that show excessive, often demeaning, obedience or a complete lack of originality.
• It is typically used in a negative or critical sense to highlight undesirable subservience or unthinking imitation.
• Common collocations include: , , , .

Examples

• Describing submissive behavior:
  • He was a slavish yes-man, always agreeing with the boss no matter what.
  • Her slavish devotion to her job ruled her life and left no time for her family.
• Describing unoriginal copying:
  • The design was a slavish copy of the original, with no innovation of its own.
  • We need creative thinking, not slavish imitation of outdated models.

Advanced Usage

• "Slavish adherence to": Following rules, traditions, or instructions in an excessively rigid and unthinking manner.
  • The project failed due to a slavish adherence to a flawed initial plan.
• "Slavish attention to detail": Can be used in a slightly more positive, though still extreme, sense to describe meticulousness that borders on the obsessive.
  • The restoration was completed with slavish attention to historical detail.

Variants and Related Words

• Slavishly (adverb): In a slavish manner.
  • He followed the instructions slavishly, without questioning their logic.
• Slavishness (noun, less common): The quality of being slavish.

Synonyms

• Servile: Willing to serve others obediently, often in a way that seems excessive or demeaning.
• Subservient: Prepared to obey others unquestioningly.
• Imitative: Copying or following a model or example, often without originality.
• Obsequious: Obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.

Antonyms

• Independent: Free from outside control; not depending on another's authority.
• Original: Created directly and personally by a particular artist; not a copy.
• Assertive: Having or showing a confident and forceful personality.

Idioms and Phrases

• A slavish follower: Someone who follows another person or a set of ideas with unquestioning obedience and lack of independent thought.
  • He was not a leader but merely a slavish follower of the prevailing ideology.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. abjectly submissive; characteristic of a slave or servant
   • slavish devotion to her job ruled her life
   • a slavish yes-man to the party bosses- S.H.Adams
   • she has become submissive and subservient
2. blindly imitative
   • a slavish copy of the original

Từ đồng nghĩa

• subservient
• submissive