'Fawning' definitions:
Definition of 'fawning'
(from WordNet)
adjective
Attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery [syn: bootlicking, fawning, obsequious, sycophantic, toadyish]
adjective
Definition of 'Fawning'
From: GCIDE
- Fawn \Fawn\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fawned; p. pr. & vb. n. Fawning.] [OE. fawnen, fainen, fagnien, to rejoice, welcome, flatter, AS. f[ae]gnian to rejoice; akin to Icel. fagna to rejoice, welcome. See Fain.] To court favor by low cringing, frisking, etc., as a dog; to flatter meanly; -- often followed by on or upon. [1913 Webster]
- You showed your teeth like apes, and fawned like hounds. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
- Thou with trembling fear, Or like a fawning parasite, obeyest. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
- Courtiers who fawn on a master while they betray him. --Macaulay. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'fawning'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- abject,
- adulation,
- adulatory,
- apple-polishing,
- ass-kissing,
- backscratching,
- beggarly,
- bland,
- blandishing,
- blandishment,
- blarney,
- blarneying,
- bootlicking,
- brown-nosing,
- bunkum,
- buttery,
- cajolement,
- cajolery,
- cajoling,
- compliant,
- compliment,
- complimentary,
- courtierly,
- courtly,
- cowering,
- crawling,
- cringing,
- crouching,
- deferential,
- envious,
- eyewash,
- fair words,
- fair-spoken,
- fawnery,
- fine-spoken,
- flattering,
- flattery,
- flunkyism,
- footlicking,
- fulsome,
- grease,
- groveling,
- gushing,
- handshaking,
- hangdog,
- honey-mouthed,
- honey-tongued,
- honeyed,
- honeyed phrases,
- honeyed words,
- humble,
- ignoble,
- incense,
- ingratiating,
- ingratiation,
- insincere,
- insinuating,
- insinuation,
- kowtowing,
- mealy-mouthed,
- mealymouthed,
- mealymouthedness,
- mean,
- obeisance,
- obeisant,
- obsequious,
- obsequiousness,
- oil,
- oily,
- oily-tongued,
- on bended knee,
- palaver,
- parasitic,
- parasitism,
- praise,
- pretty lies,
- prostrate,
- prostration,
- servile,
- slavish,
- slimy,
- slobbery,
- smarmy,
- smooth,
- smooth-spoken,
- smooth-tongued,
- sniveling,
- soap,
- soapy,
- soft soap,
- soft-soaping,
- spineless,
- sponging,
- submissive,
- subservient,
- sweet nothings,
- sweet talk,
- sweet words,
- sycophancy,
- sycophant,
- sycophantic,
- timeserving,
- toadeating,
- toadying,
- toadyish,
- toadyism,
- truckling,
- tufthunting,
- unctuous,
- wheedling,
- yielding