What does adulating mean?
"Adulating" is the present participle of the verb "adulate," meaning to praise someone excessively, obsequiously, or insincerely. It describes flattery that goes well beyond genuine appreciation — the kind of gushing, servile admiration offered by courtiers, sycophants, or starstruck admirers hoping to gain favor. Because of this connotation, the word is rarely neutral: an adulating crowd suggests people who have abandoned judgment in their enthusiasm, and an adulating subordinate implies self-interested flattery. The term derives from the Latin "adulari," meaning to fawn upon, evoking the image of a dog cringing and wagging before its master. It appears chiefly in formal writing, journalism, and literary criticism, and is closely related to the more frequently used noun "adulation" and adjective "adulatory." Writers reach for it precisely because it condemns the praise even as it reports it.
verb (present participle and gerund of 'adulate')Present participle of "adulate": praising someone excessively or servilely, often insincerely in order to flatter or win favor.
- Praising or flattering someone excessively and often insincerely, typically from a position of subservience or in pursuit of favor.
"The courtiers spent the evening adulating the king, each compliment more extravagant than the last."
"Surrounded by adulating aides who never dared disagree with him, the CEO gradually lost touch with reality."
"She was uncomfortable being adulated at the awards ceremony, preferring honest feedback to empty praise."
It comes from a Latin verb meaning to fawn like a dog — so when someone is adulating you, they're literally acting like an eager puppy.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of adulating
"Adulating" comes from the Latin verb "adulari," meaning to fawn upon or flatter, formed from "ad-" (toward) plus a root connected to fawning behavior. English adopted the related noun "adulation" in the late Middle Ages via Old French, with the verb "adulate" following in the 16th–17th centuries. Cognate forms such as "adulatory" and "adulator" share the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How adulating is actually used
Formal to literary in register; almost always carries a negative connotation of insincerity or servility. The base verb "adulate" is less common than its noun form "adulation."
Easily confused with adulating
"Adulating" means flattering someone excessively, while "adulterating" means making something impure by adding inferior substances.