Why did they wait upon him so servilely?
Source: tatoeba (305965)
Servilely
/ˈsɝ.vaɪl.li/
Synonyms for "servilely" (7 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (2)
Adverb(2 words)
Strong matches (2)
Adverb(2 words)
Related words (3)
Adverb(2 words)
Adjective(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: complaisantly, menially, obediently, obligingly, obsequiously.
- Sentence evidence is available for servilely, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from derived_reverse, wordnet.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "servilely".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "servilely"
Keep "servilely" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "servilely" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "servilely", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "servilely" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Sample sentences
4 total sentences available.
In the works of nature we find, in many instances, beauty and sublimity involved among circumstances, which are either indifferent, or which obstruct the general effect: and it is only by a train of experiments, that we can separate those circumstances from the rest... Accordingly, the inexperienced artist, when he copies nature, will copy her servilely... and the beauties of his performances will be encumbered with a number of superfluous or disagreeable concomitants. Experience and observation alone can enable him to make this determination: to exhibit the principles of beauty pure and unadulterated, and to form a creation of his own, more faultless, than ever fell under the observation of his senses.
Source: wiktionary
As a-curse is not found before the 12th c., the prefix does not here represent an older ar- or an-, but is imitated from the a- into which both of these had then sunk, and was apparently intensive, as in wake, a-wake, rise, a-rise. In 5, when the scribes latinized the Fr[ench] prefix a- before c to ac-, they servilely did the same with a-curse, whence the false spelling ac-curse.
Source: wiktionary
She looks at Mother out of appealing eyes. Docile. Ready to please. So in need. Servilely murmuring: ‘Yes, jee, I will do everything … Anything you want.’
Source: wiktionary
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "servilely"?
Closest matches include complaisantly, menially, obediently, obligingly, obsequiously.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "servilely"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.