Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense grovels, present participle grovelling, past tense, past participle grovelledregional note: in AM, use groveling, groveled
1. verb
If you say that someone grovels, you think they are behaving too respectfully towards another person, for example because they are frightened or because they want something.
[disapproval]
I don't grovel to anybody. [V + to/before]
Speakers have been shouted down, classes disrupted, teachers made to grovel. [VERB]
...a letter of grovelling apology. [VERB-ing]
Synonyms: humble yourself, creep, crawl, flatter More Synonyms of grovel
2. verb
If you grovel, you crawl on the ground, for example in order to find something.
We grovelled around the club on our knees. [VERB preposition/adverb]
[Also VERB]
Synonyms: crawl, crouch, go on hands and knees, go on all fours More Synonyms of grovel
grovel in British English
(ˈɡrɒvəl)
verbWord forms: -els, -elling, -elledWord forms: US-els, -eling or -eled(intransitive)
1.
to humble or abase oneself, as in making apologies or showing respect
2.
to lie or crawl face downwards, as in fear or humility
3. (often foll by in)
to indulge or take pleasure (in sensuality or vice)
Derived forms
groveller (ˈgroveller) or groveler (ˈgroveler)
noun
grovelling (ˈgrovelling) or groveling (ˈgroveling)
noun, adjective
grovellingly (ˈgrovellingly) or grovelingly (ˈgrovelingly)
adverb
Word origin
C16: back formation from obsolete groveling (adv), from Middle English on grufe on the face, of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse ā grūfu, from grūfa prone position; see -ling2
grovel in American English
(ˈgrɑvəl; ˈgrʌvəl)
verb intransitiveWord forms: ˈgroveled or ˈgrovelled, ˈgroveling or ˈgrovelling
1.
to lie prone or crawl in a prostrate position, esp. abjectly
2.
to behave humbly or abjectly, as before authority; debase oneself in a servile fashion
3.
to wallow in what is low or contemptible
Derived forms
groveler (ˈgroveler)
noun or ˈgroveller
Word origin
back-form. (first found in Shakespeare) < grovelling, down on one's face (assumed to be prp.) < ME grufelinge < gruf, for o grufe, on the face (< ON ā grūfu) + -ling, -ling2
Examples of 'grovel' in a sentence
grovel
All right, Charles, you don't have to grovel on all fours!
Howatch, Susan ABSOLUTE TRUTHS (2001)
And what better use can we find for those degenerates who grovel in your gutters, or sell themselves for money?
Pritchard, John NIGHT SISTERS (2001)
She deserved to grovel, but since that didn't appear to be working, she reverted to being the world-weary, spoiled heiress.
Susan Elizabeth Philips THIS HEART OF MINE (2001)
In other languages
grovel
British English: grovel VERB
If you say that someone grovels, you think they are behaving too respectfully towards another person, for example, because they are frightened or because they want something.
I don't grovel to anybody.
American English: grovel
Brazilian Portuguese: humilhar-se
Chinese: 卑躬屈膝
European Spanish: arrastrarse
French: ramper
German: kriechen
Italian: essere ossequioso
Japanese: ぺこぺこする
Korean: 굽실거리다
European Portuguese: humilhar-se
Latin American Spanish: arrastrarse
Chinese translation of 'grovel'
grovel
(ˈɡrɔvl)
vi
(= be humble) 奴颜(顏)婢膝 (nú yán bì xī)
(= crawl about) 爬行 (páxíng)
to grovel to sb向某人卑躬屈膝 (xiàng mǒurén bēi gōng qū xī)
1 (verb)
Definition
to behave excessively humbly towards someone, esp. a superior, in an attempt to win his or her favour
I refuse to grovel to anybody.
Synonyms
humble yourself
He humbled himself and became obedient.
creep
crawl
flatter
fawn
People fawn on you when you're famous.
pander
cower
toady
They came backstage, cooing and toadying to him.
kowtow
Nor did he kowtow to his editors.
brown-nose (taboo, slang)
bow and scrape
kiss ass (taboo, slang)
lick someone's boots
lick someone's arse (taboo, slang)
bootlick (informal)
demean yourself
abase yourself
Opposites
be proud
,
intimidate
,
hold your head high
,
domineer
2 (verb)
Definition
to crawl on the floor, often in search of something
We grovelled around on our knees, hunting for the key.
Synonyms
crawl
I'll apologize to him, but I won't crawl.
crouch
go on hands and knees
go on all fours
Additional synonyms
in the sense of fawn
Definition
to seek attention from (someone) by insincere flattery