adulatory
Meaning
expressing excessive praise or admiration, especially to gain favor
Structure
Usage
the biography was criticized for its adulatory tone, lacking any objective analysis of the subject's flaws.
he was surrounded by adulatory followers who never challenged his ideas.
the review was not merely positive; it was adulatory, describing the film as a flawless masterpiece.
Etymology
the word 'adulatory' has its roots in the latin verb adulari, which meant 'to fawn upon' or 'to flatter', likely imitative of a dog wagging its tail. this verb passed into english via the late latin form adulat-, the past participle stem of adulari. the suffix -tory, from latin -torius, is added to form adjectives describing a characteristic action or quality. thus, the literal construction 'characterized by fawning' evolved into the modern abstract meaning of showing excessive, often insincere, praise.
Analysis
- adula: from latin adulari, meaning 'to fawn upon, flatter'. - tory: a latin-derived suffix (-torius) used to form adjectives meaning 'pertaining to, characterized by'.