1
a
: of or characteristic of someone held in forced servitude
especially
: basely or abjectly servile
b
archaic
: despicable, low
I have done with slavish fear of disaster.—
Charlotte Brontë
Charlotte Brontë… in a sense it is infinitely reasonable …. But there is such a thing as a mean infinity, a base and slavish eternity.—G. K. Chesterton
G. K. Chesterton2
archaic
: oppressive, tyrannical
No minion of despotism ever ventured to advance more slavish doctrines …—George McDuffie
George McDuffie3
disapproving
: copying obsequiously or without originality : imitative
slavishly
adverb
slavishness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of slavish in a Sentence
a politician and his slavish followers
He has been criticized for his slavish devotion to the rules.
Recent Examples on the Web
But the final opening skates through Joan dunking her face in an ice bath, arriving at the studio, and then returning home to the slavish Carol Ann.
—Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 29 June 2024
Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s Democratic opponents have expressed horror at his slavish flattery of Putin but have failed to articulate a coherent Russia strategy of their own.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2020
Feud and American Horror Story creator Murphy purchased the Brown House in 2022 and set about renovating it and decorating it in an eclectic style that wasn’t slavish to its mid-century roots.
—Degen Pener, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 May 2024
But California’s governor was utterly slavish in the role of dutiful party soldier, repeatedly extolling Biden’s performance with a rat-a-tat of statistics — a Newsom hallmark — on falling inflation, rising employment and other favorable barometers.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2023
See all Example Sentences for slavish 
Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 29 June 2024
Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s Democratic opponents have expressed horror at his slavish flattery of Putin but have failed to articulate a coherent Russia strategy of their own.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2020
Feud and American Horror Story creator Murphy purchased the Brown House in 2022 and set about renovating it and decorating it in an eclectic style that wasn’t slavish to its mid-century roots.
—Degen Pener, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 May 2024
But California’s governor was utterly slavish in the role of dutiful party soldier, repeatedly extolling Biden’s performance with a rat-a-tat of statistics — a Newsom hallmark — on falling inflation, rising employment and other favorable barometers.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2023
See all Example Sentences for slavish
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'slavish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near slavish
Cite this Entry
“Slavish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slavish. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
slavish
adjective
slav·ish
ˈslā-vish 
1
: of or characteristic of someone held in forced servitude
2
: lacking in independence or originality
slavish imitators
slavishly
adverb
slavishness
noun
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