What does adulatory mean?
Adulatory is an adjective describing praise or admiration that is excessive, effusive, or flattering to the point of insincerity. An adulatory review, speech, or biography goes beyond balanced appreciation into fawning territory, often suggesting that the person offering such praise is servile, sycophantic, or seeking favor. The word is largely confined to formal and literary contexts — criticism, journalism, and commentary — where writers frequently deploy it to signal skepticism about uncritical enthusiasm, as in 'an adulatory profile that asked no hard questions.' Because its connotations are almost invariably negative, calling something adulatory is rarely neutral: it implies a loss of critical judgment on the part of the praiser. The word derives from the Latin adulari, meaning to fawn upon or flatter, and belongs to the same family as adulation and adulate. Its visual similarity to 'adultery' is a well-known trap for readers, though the two words are entirely unrelated in meaning.
adjectiveExcessively praising or flattering, especially in a way that seems insincere or servile.
- Characterized by or expressing excessive praise or flattery, often to an insincere or obsequious degree.
"The film received adulatory reviews that praised everything about it without reservation."
"The senator was surrounded by adulatory aides who never dared contradict him."
"Her memoir was dismissed by some critics as an adulatory portrait that glossed over its subject's flaws."
Don't let the spelling fool you: 'adulatory' has nothing to do with adultery — one word is about cheating, the other about flattering.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of adulatory
Adulatory comes from the Latin verb adulari, meaning 'to fawn upon' or 'to flatter,' via the noun adulatio, which gave English 'adulation' in the late Middle Ages. The adjective form entered English in the early modern period, likely in the seventeenth century, alongside other Latinate learned vocabulary. It shares its root with the related English words adulate and adulator, all preserving the original sense of servile, fawning praise.
How adulatory is actually used
Formal to literary register; almost always carries a negative connotation, implying that the praise is excessive, uncritical, or motivated by self-interest rather than genuine admiration.
Easily confused with adulatory
Despite the similar spelling, 'adultery' means voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone who is not their spouse, whereas 'adulatory' describes excessive flattery.