Meaning & use

grovel

verb·Advanced

Last updated

To behave in a humble or servile way, especially to seek forgiveness or favor.

See it in a sentence

He had to grovel for weeks before his boss forgave the mistake.

The dog groveled at her feet, hoping for a treat.

A note on using this word

Grovel originally described lying face down on the ground, and later extended to figurative acts of extreme submissiveness.

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

defyswagger

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