Word
fawning
Phoneticsfawn·ing, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈfɔnɪŋ/
UK/fˈɔːnɪŋ/
Definition
adj. trying too hard to please someone important by praising them a lot. You do it to get something you want, like attention or help.
adj. excessively flattering or attentive in order to win favour or approval. Often describes praise, attention, or behaviour that seems insincere and self-serving.
Examples
“She dislikes his fawning messages to the manager.”
“The new assistant gives fawning compliments to every senior partner in hopes of a promotion.”
“The biography avoids fawning praise and instead examines the leader's flaws with cool, even-handed judgment.”
Examples
simple
“She dislikes his fawning messages to the manager.”
contextual
“The new assistant gives fawning compliments to every senior partner in hopes of a promotion.”
complex
“The biography avoids fawning praise and instead examines the leader's flaws with cool, even-handed judgment.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “fawning” in context.
Verb
01. become fawning
“Staff quickly become fawning when the CEO visits the office.”
verb + adj
02. border on fawning
“Her welcome speech bordered on fawning and embarrassed the guests.”
verb + prep + adj
03. dismiss as fawning
“Critics dismissed the biography as fawning and poorly researched.”
verb + prep + adj
04. fawning over
“He spent the evening fawning over the visiting professor.”
adj + prep
Adjective
05. embarrassingly fawning
“His embarrassingly fawning speech made the whole audience cringe.”
adv + adj
Noun
06. fawning coverage
“The election received embarrassingly fawning coverage on that channel.”
adj + noun
07. fawning interview
“The magazine published a fawning interview with the pop star.”
adj + noun
08. fawning smile
“She greeted the investors with a fixed, fawning smile.”
adj + noun
09. a fawning interview with
“The podcast aired a fawning interview with the tech billionaire.”
10. a sickeningly fawning smile
“He welcomed the inspectors with a sickeningly fawning smile.”
11. dismiss biography as fawning
“Reviewers dismissed the biography as fawning and unreliable.”
12. embarrassingly fawning coverage of
“The channel aired embarrassingly fawning coverage of the royal visit.”
Usage
Typically placed before the noun it modifies; also used predicatively after 'be'.
Real-World Examples
“A new video, released on Tuesday on the YouTube and Facebook accounts of People's Daily, the ruling Communist Party's official newspaper, has been ridiculed on the Internet for the interviewees' fawning praise of President Xi Jinping.” Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/fawning