suppliant

[ suhp-lee-uhnt ]
See synonyms for suppliant on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a person who supplicates; petitioner.

adjective
  1. expressive of supplication, as words, actions, etc.

Origin of suppliant

1
1400–50; late Middle English <Middle French, present participle of supplier<Latin supplicāre to beseech, supplicate. See -ant

Other words from suppliant

  • sup·pli·ant·ly, adverb
  • sup·pli·ant·ness, noun
  • un·sup·pli·ant, adjective

Words that may be confused with suppliant

Words Nearby suppliant

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use suppliant in a sentence

  • Instead she assumed a suppliant air, her beautiful eyes meltingly set upon his face.

    St. Martin's Summer | Rafael Sabatini
  • Mr. Capt was in the habit of writing to the lady in the humble tone of a suppliant.

  • She gave him a suppliant glance, which he understood, for he did not insist, and she remained silent in her chair.

    The Border Rifles | Gustave Aimard
  • Since he played the part of suppliant, he argued with his opponent without heat, though passion might not be denied.

    Menotah | Ernest G. Henham
  • Thus he sat, dejection and despair stamped on his homely face; haughty, yet a suppliant; a king, yet only by sufferance.

    The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte | William Milligan Sloane

British Dictionary definitions for suppliant

suppliant

/ (ˈsʌplɪənt) /


adjective
  1. expressing entreaty or supplication

noun, adjective
  1. another word for supplicant

Origin of suppliant

1
C15: from French supplier to beseech, from Latin supplicāre to kneel in entreaty; see supple

Derived forms of suppliant

  • suppliantly, adverb
  • suppliance, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012