fawn, toady, truckle, cringe, cower mean to behave abjectly before a superior. fawn implies seeking favor by servile flattery or exaggerated attention.

fawn verb [I] (PRAISE) to give someone a lot of attention and praise in order to get that person’s approval:

FAWN definition: a young deer, especially an unweaned one. See examples of fawn used in a sentence.

To seek favor or attention by flattery and obsequious behavior. [Middle English faunen, from Old English fagnian, to rejoice, from fagen, fægen, glad.] fawn′er n.

Dec 11, 2025 · fawn (third-person singular simple present fawns, present participle fawning, simple past and past participle fawned) (intransitive) To exhibit affection or attempt to please.

fawn′er, n. fawn′ing•ly, adv. fawn′ing•ness, n. 1. toady, truckle, flatter, kowtow.

These verbs mean to seek or gain favor by behaving obsequiously and submissively: fawned on her superior; bootlicked to get a promotion; lawyers kowtowing to a judge; slavered over his rich uncle; …

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

Learn about Fawn, its meaning, usage, and significance. Enhance your vocabulary with detailed insights on Fawn.

A fawn is a baby deer. If you flatter that deer to win their friendship by saying "What pretty white spots you have!" then you are fawning over it. In comparison, a faun is a half-human half-goat creature …