different between obeisance vs adulation

English

Alternative forms

• obeisaunce, obeissance, abaisance (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English obeisaunce (“obedience, obeisance”), from Old French obeïssance, derived from obeïssant (“obedient”), participle of obeïr (“to obey”), from Latin oboedire, obedire; ob- (“to, for”) + audire (“to hear”). Cognate with obedience.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /o??be?s?ns/, /o??bi?s?ns/, /??be?s?ns/, /??bi?s?ns/
• Hyphenation: o?bei?sance
• Rhymes: -e?s?ns

Noun

obeisance (countable and uncountable, plural obeisances)

1. Demonstration of an obedient attitude, especially by bowing deeply; a deep bow which demonstrates such an attitude.
   • 1915, Edward Plunkett, Lord Dunsany, Fifty-One Tales:

     But looking upwards in the blaze of the moon I suddenly saw colossi sitting near, and towering up and blotting out the stars and filling the night with blackness; and at those idols’ feet I saw praying and making obeisance kings and the days that are and all times and all cities and all nations and all their gods.

   • 1962, J. L. Austin, How To Do Things With Words (OUP paperback edition), p. 69:

     The situation in the case of actions which are non-linguistic but similar to performative utterances in that they are the performance of a conventional action (here ritual or ceremonial) is rather like this: suppose I bow deeply before you; it might not be clear whether I am doing obeisance to you or, say, stooping to observe the flora or to ease my indigestion.

2. An obedient attitude.

Usage notes

• Usually in the phrases do obeisance or make obeisance.

Translations

See also

• kiss someone's ring

English

Etymology

From French adulation, from Latin adul?tio (“flattery”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?æd???le???n/, /?ædj??le???n/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?æd???le???n/
• Rhymes: -e???n

Noun

adulation (countable and uncountable, plural adulations)

1. Flattery; fulsome praise.
   • 1919, W. Somerset Maugham, The Moon and Sixpence, ch. 1,

     It is still possible to discuss his place in art, and the adulation of his admirers is perhaps no less capricious than the disparagement of his detractors; [...]

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:flattery

Related terms

• adulate
• adulator
• adulatory

Translations

See also

• admiration
• adoration

Anagrams

• laudation

French

Etymology

From Latin adul?tio (“flattery”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.dy.la.sj??/

Noun

adulation f (plural adulations)

1. adulation

Related terms

• aduler
• adulateur

Further reading

• “adulation” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).