kowtow
Americanverb (used without object)
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kowtows,
present (3rd person singular)
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kowtowed,
past participle, past
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kowtowing
present participle
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to act in an obsequious manner; show servile deference.
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to touch the forehead to the ground while kneeling, as an act of worship, reverence, apology, etc., especially in former Chinese custom.
noun
verb
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to touch the forehead to the ground as a sign of deference: a former Chinese custom
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(often foll by to) to be servile or obsequious (towards)
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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kowtowsimple
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kowtowssimple
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have kowtowedperfect
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has kowtowedperfect
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am kowtowingprogressive
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are kowtowingprogressive
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is kowtowingprogressive
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have been kowtowingperfect progressive
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has been kowtowingperfect progressive
Past
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kowtowedsimple
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had kowtowedperfect
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was kowtowingprogressive
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were kowtowingprogressive
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had been kowtowingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of kowtow
First recorded in 1795–1805, kowtow is from the Chinese word kòutóu, literally, “knock (one's) head”
Explanation
Kowtow, which describes the act of kneeling and touching one’s head to the ground to show respect, used to be a custom in Chinese culture. Now it refers to acting like you're doing that, whether you actually bow or not. Kowtow is derived from the Chinese word k’o-t’ou, which literally means “knock the head.” As a verb, kowtow has the sense of “sucking up” or "flattering." Maybe you’re wondering when it would be appropriate to kowtow. The answer? When you want to worship, show respect, gain favor, or flatter. You might need to kowtow to your teacher if you failed a test, but if you kowtow to all your neighbor's requests, you might wind up mowing his lawn all summer.
Vocabulary lists containing kowtow
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Mighty Miranda must kowtow to the luxury brands and their ambassadors, whose sponsorship keeps Runway strutting, including the once-harried and humiliated Emily, who is now an executive at Dior.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026
Smaller domestic military budgets also reduce the need for companies to kowtow to politicians by maintaining unprofitable operations in their districts or supporting civilian projects.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 1, 2026
The need to kowtow seems to have scarred Torres.
From New York Times ● Feb. 29, 2024
"They expect to be treated with respect... and they don't expect institutions to kowtow to the United States."
From BBC ● Dec. 22, 2021
At his glance, Minli shrank to the ground in a humble kowtow.
From "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" by Grace Lin
“I had to do three kowtows to the sun,” Mr. Hunt told The Guardian.
From New York Times ● Nov. 16, 2022
Even when her voice is high and sweet, she never kowtows.
From The New Yorker ● Feb. 14, 2019
“If he kowtows to anyone, and people stop believing that he’s saying what he means, he’s going to kill the brand.”
From New York Times ● Nov. 20, 2014
And then he watches as Katrina kowtows to the Headless Horseman, in fact saving his life but also showing her shifting allegiance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2014
Pinmei stumbled, pulling Yishan with her so they both ended up in the humblest of kowtows.
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
It kowtowed to every fashionable agenda to protect its independence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 8, 2026
Compromised himself in the moment, been less than human, not having to hold on to his dignity so much, and just kowtowed to this guy and got himself home.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 2024
She kowtowed to no one, including many of her fellow intellectuals, black and white.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 30, 2017
David Brent was the personification of what every person loathes about themselves when they inevitably succumb to the workforce—superficial, petty, and incompetent, just like the status quo he kowtowed to.
From Salon ● Apr. 28, 2016
He always made a great show of waiting on the Tates; he kowtowed to my parents when they came in.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
On Tuesday, Colbert claimed CBS management is kowtowing to Carr and showing a lack of corporate courage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2026
Bennett argued presciently that by kowtowing to radicals, “a great university was brought low by the very forces which modern universities came into being to oppose: ignorance, irrationality and intimidation.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026
Those early signs of kowtowing were bad indicators that the members of Youngstown State University’s faculty union just couldn’t get behind.
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2025
It will not want to be seen kowtowing to Washington.
From BBC ● Mar. 4, 2025
I don’t know why, but right then it finally dawned on me that Papa had wanted to please Grandpa out of respect and gratitude, not from kowtowing.
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
