grovel

[ gruhv-uhl, grov- ]

See synonyms for: grovel groveling grovelling groveler on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object),grov·eled, grov·el·ing or (especially British) grov·elled, grov·el·ling.

to humble oneself or act in an abject manner, as in great fear or utter servility.
to lie or crawl with the face downward and the body prostrate, especially in abject humility, fear, etc.

to take pleasure in mean or base things.

Origin of grovel

1585–95; back formation from obsolete groveling (adv.), equivalent to obsolete grufe face down (<Old Norse ā grūfu face down) + -ling², taken to be present participle

Other words for grovel

1	truckle, toady, fawn, kowtow, pander

See synonyms for grovel on Thesaurus.com

Other words from grovel

grov·el·er; especially British, grov·el·ler, noun
grov·el·ing·ly; especially British, grov·el·ling·ly, adverb
un·grov·el·ing, adjective
un·grov·el·ling, adjective

Words that may be confused with grovel

gavel, gravel, grovel

Words Nearby grovel

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use grovel in a sentence

I found the island’s one pier, paddled out, and proceeded to grovel for two-foot waves.
My Quest to Surf Every Coastal State | eriley | July 28, 2021 | Outside Online
A 17th-century astronomer and naturalist, Giovanni Battista Hodierna, thought snakes used their tongues for “picking the dirt out of their noses … since they are always grovelling on the ground.”
Why do snakes flick their tongues? | Purbita Saha | June 20, 2021 | Popular-Science
I love watching Washington partisans grovel, backpedal, and spin.
Hagel Is The Wrong Choice | Gil Troy | December 14, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Would-be partners had to grovel for deals and were only accepted on onerous terms, they said.
Is Google the Next AOL? | Peter Osnos | April 14, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST
We need not grovel in the sinks and cellars, neither need we ruminate upon the house-tops.
A Cursory History of Swearing | Julian Sharman

Behind the back of Monsieur P—— they grouch; before his face they grovel.
Over the Front in an Aeroplane and Scenes Inside the French and Flemish Trenches | Ralph Pulitzer
Nay, I would ask her forgiveness and grovel before her, if she would only let me enjoy her love again.
The Making of a Saint | William Somerset Maugham
Then the two ladies who looked beheld Houdaine fall down at the feet of Sir Tristram and grovel there with joy.
The Story of the Champions of the Round Table | Howard Pyle
Mahmud tried to grovel at the captains feet, wailing to Allah and the Prophet.
Cursed | George Allan England

British Dictionary definitions for grovel

grovel

/ (ˈɡrɒvəl) /

verb-els, -elling or -elled or US -els, -eling or -eled (intr)

to humble or abase oneself, as in making apologies or showing respect
to lie or crawl face downwards, as in fear or humility

(often foll by in) to indulge or take pleasure (in sensuality or vice)

Origin of grovel

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 -ling ²

Derived forms of grovel

groveller, noun
grovelling, noun, adjective
grovellingly, adverb

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

Browse