obsequious
adjective

- too eager to help or obey someone important

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

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ORIGIN

First appearance in English in the 1500s. From the Latin ‘obsequiosus’, meaning compliant or obedient. Obsequious describes people who try very hard to please someone with power, wealth, or high standing. By using this word, we show that we disapprove of the way the person is behaving.

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SYNONYMS

adulatory, apple-polishing, ass-kissing, beggarly, blarneying, bootlicking, bowing and scraping, brown-nosing, buttering-up, crawling, cringing, enslaved, fawning, flannelling, forelock-tugging, grovelling, gushing, honey-tongued, ingratiating, kowtowing, lickspittle, mealy-mouthed, OBSEQUIOUS, overly flattering, servile, smarmy, snivelling, soft-soaping, spineless, subservient, suckholing, sucking up, sycophantic, teacher's pet, too keen to please, toadying, unctuous, Uriah Heepish, yes-man

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OBSEQUIOUSNESS DOESN'T PAY

During an illness early in Caligula’s reign, a commoner vowed to give his own life if the emperor recovered. The man made the promise publicly, hoping through his extravagant offer to show his deep loyalty and to elicit a generous award. Although Caligula did recover, the tactic backfired spectacularly. Once back on his feet, Caligula chose to take the man at his word and ordered his execution.

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PRACTICE OWAD in an English conversation, discuss something like:

“The more expensive the location, the more obsequious the service staff.”

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Paul Smith