• Fawning

    Pronunciation

    • Rhymes: -ɔːnɪŋ

    Verb

    fawning
    1. Present participle of fawn
      • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, The Mirror and the Lamp Chapter 2, That the young Mr. Churchills liked—but they did not like him coming round of an evening and drinking weak whisky-and-water while he held forth on railway debentures and corporation loans. Mr. Barrett, however, by fawning and flattery, seemed to be able to make not only Mrs. Churchill but everyone else do what he desired.

    Full definition of fawning

    Noun

    fawning

    (plural fawnings)
    1. servile flattery
      • Hannah MoreXantippus found his ruin ere it reached him,
        Lurking behind your honours and rewards;
        Found it in your feigned courtesies and fawnings.
    © Wiktionary