MEANING
To seek another person’s favor through excessive, servile attention or flattery.
Use it for
ingratiating self-protection; fear of displeasing authorityShow a social survival strategy while preserving uncertainty about motive.
Words that belong together
- fawn over a superior
- fawn on a patron
- fawn over someone powerful
On the page
Afraid of being dismissed, he began to fawn over the director.
She noticed that the guard expected visitors to fawn on him.
The clerk refused to fawn, though he knew a blunt reply could cost him his job.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- fawn / fawns
- Past tense
- fawned
- Past participle
- fawned
- Present participle
- fawning
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- fawn / fawns
- Present continuous
- am/is/are fawning
- Present perfect
- have/has fawned
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been fawning
- Past
- fawned
- Past continuous
- was/were fawning
- Past perfect
- had fawned
- Past perfect continuous
- had been fawning
- Future
- will fawn / fawns
- Future continuous
- will be fawning
- Future perfect
- will have fawned
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been fawning
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary category: fear. Disapproving; may be fear-motivated, opportunistic, or both. This ordinary verb does not by itself diagnose a trauma response. The deer noun is separate. Verb forms (base, third-person singular, past, past participle, -ing): fawn, fawns, fawned, fawned, fawning.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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