'adulate' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'adulatus,' where 'ad-' meant 'to' and 'ululare' meant 'to howl or wail.'

'adulatus' transformed into the French word 'aduler,' and eventually became the modern English word 'adulate' through Middle English.

Initially, it meant 'to flatter or praise excessively,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.