fawning

fawn ¹  (fôn)

intr.v. fawned, fawn·ing, fawns

1. To exhibit affection or attempt to please, as a dog does by wagging its tail, whining, or cringing.

2. To seek favor or attention by flattery and obsequious behavior.

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[Middle English faunen, from Old English fagnian, to rejoice, from fagen, fægen, glad.]

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fawner n.

fawning·ly adv.

Synonyms: fawn¹, apple-polish, bootlick, kowtow, slaver¹, toady, truckle
These verbs mean to curry favor by behaving obsequiously and submissively: fawned on her superior; students apple-polishing the teacher; bootlicked to get a promotion; lawyers kowtowing to a judge; slavered over his rich uncle; toadying to members of the club; nobles truckling to the king.

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fawn ²  (fôn)

n.

1. A young deer, especially one less than a year old.

2. A grayish yellow-brown to moderate reddish brown.

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[Middle English, from Old French foun, faon, feon, young animal, from Vulgar Latin *ft, *ftn-, from Latin ftus, offspring; see dh(i)- in Indo-European roots.]

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Fawning of courtiers, 15th century.

Thesaurus

Adj.	1.	fawning - attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery bootlicking, obsequious, sycophantic, toadyish insincere - lacking sincerity; "a charming but thoroughly insincere woman"; "their praise was extravagant and insincere"
	2.	fawning - attempting to win favor by flattery bootlicking, sycophantic, toadyish servile - submissive or fawning in attitude or behavior; "spoke in a servile tone"; "the incurably servile housekeeper"; "servile tasks such as floor scrubbing and barn work"

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fawning

adjective obsequious, crawling, flattering, cringing, abject, grovelling, prostrate, deferential, sycophantic, servile, slavish, bowing and scraping, bootlicking (informal)