grovel
Americanverb (used without object)
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grovels,
present (3rd person singular)
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groveled,
past participle, past
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grovelled,
past participle, past (especially British)
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groveling,
present participle
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grovelling
present participle (especially British)
verb
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to humble or abase oneself, as in making apologies or showing respect
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to lie or crawl face downwards, as in fear or humility
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(often foll by in) to indulge or take pleasure (in sensuality or vice)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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grovelernoun
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grovellernoun
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grovellingnoun
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ungrovelingadjective
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ungrovellingadjective
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grovelinglyadverb
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grovellinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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grovelsimple
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grovelssimple
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have groveledperfect
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have grovelledperfect
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has groveledperfect
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has grovelledperfect
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am grovelingprogressive
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am grovellingprogressive
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are grovelingprogressive
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are grovellingprogressive
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is grovelingprogressive
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is grovellingprogressive
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have been grovelingperfect progressive
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have been grovellingperfect progressive
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has been grovelingperfect progressive
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has been grovellingperfect progressive
Past
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groveledsimple
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grovelledsimple
-
had groveledperfect
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had grovelledperfect
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was grovelingprogressive
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was grovellingprogressive
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were grovelingprogressive
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were grovellingprogressive
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had been grovelingperfect progressive
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had been grovellingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of grovel
1585–95; back formation from obsolete groveling (adv.), equivalent to obsolete grufe face down (< Old Norse ā grūfu face down) + -ling 2, taken to be present participle
Explanation
To grovel is to beg like a hungry dog. You don't have to be a canine though; you might grovel for a better grade (please don't). If you grovel you risk getting the opposite of what you want, because people (like teachers) don't like people down at their feet begging for something. But if you cheat on your date, you may have to grovel to get him or her back. Grovel also means to crawl around on your belly — you could grovel on gravel, but that might really hurt. The word comes from the Vikings; in Old Norse the word grufe means "prone" (lying flat) which is probably how Vikings liked to see the people they were conquering. You grovel when you want something but also when you're afraid.
Vocabulary lists containing grovel
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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:
After the commissioner makes this conceited Yank grovel, Marty simply replies, “It’s every man for himself where I come from.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2025
Audiences were fascinated by how quickly favor turns in Edward Berger’s film, but it felt all too familiar watching men grovel and gripe over authority, at least until a twist changes the ranks.
From Salon ● Dec. 10, 2024
On Monday, Gov. Kathy Hochul made Suozzi drive to Albany to all but grovel for her support.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 8, 2023
A Syracuse University dean performed a similar grovel for the same offense.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 21, 2022
She would be abject, she would cling and grovel.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
Instead of mandating, directing, or using the word “shall,” the code grovels before its own authors, flattering them with meek suggestions that justices “should,” “should not” and might “endeavor to” act in certain ways.
From Salon ● Nov. 24, 2023
It’s easy for an ego like his to grow wings and fly when, even as a washed-up quarterback, an NFL coach grovels for your services.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 9, 2022
Kichijiro, who enters grunting and twitching, as if in homage to Toshiro Mifune, and grovels at the priest’s feet, also seems on hand as much for comic relief as for guidance.
From New York Times ● Dec. 22, 2016
"To Entertain a Small Hope That Might Allay My Heartache" features a letter in which Kemal grovels, still in its envelope.
From New York Times ● Oct. 4, 2012
"Love has lost its wings of heavenly azure with which it soared light as a lark into the empyrean, and now grovels on the earth, weighed down by the burden of red gold."
From Trifles for the Christmas Holidays by H. S. Armstrong
For exactly a quarter of a century, I’ve grasped and groveled and guessed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 8, 2025
Franchises, of course, have always pandered — it’s in their D.N.A. — but rarely has one groveled quite so thirstily for fan approval.
From New York Times ● Jan. 13, 2022
So you can see why there’s a widespread sense of disgust at the way leaders have groveled before Jeff Bezos.
From Slate ● Nov. 15, 2018
He groveled, and then hedged, then tried to walk it all back with the absurdly laughable claim that he confused the word “would” for “wouldn’t”.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 22, 2018
But Tom got into a book, crawled and groveled between the covers, tunneled like a mole among the thoughts, and came up with the book all over his face and hands.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
It quotes: "Even if he grovelled to us on his knees, it wouldn't be enough."
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Months later, upon seeing how quickly Dubai had sprawled outwards, he returned to court and grovelled.
From The Guardian ● May 16, 2016
"I really didn't mean to imply Becky had failed in any way," she later grovelled.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 4, 2012
Less than three months after their foolish decision, Coke’s bosses grovelled to customers and reintroduced classic Coke.
From Economist ● Mar. 29, 2012
He grovelled on the ground and could speak no clear words but nice master.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
They want illiterate, groveling serfs, who live in fear and don’t stick around too long.
From Salon ● Nov. 23, 2025
Kruse told told the audience that the Black men who joined the Union Army were “not groveling for inclusion” but actively chose to fight.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 29, 2024
Portnoy’s deal-with-it stance, and the groveling he expected and received from even his former workers, reminded me of another mogul who recently came into possession of a media property of much fascination: Elon Musk.
From Slate ● Sep. 14, 2023
In the heartstopping series finale of “Succession” on Sunday night, striving Midwesterner Tom Wambsgans was named chief executive of Waystar Royco, completing his transformation from groveling buffoon to business titan.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2023
He shuffled forward on his knees, groveling, his hands clasped in front of him as though praying.
From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling
"Trying to run around with your hand outstretched, grovelling, begging for money, is pointless," Putin said in a televised address to Russia's political, military and business elite.
From Reuters ● Feb. 21, 2023
But its immediate collapse ended hopes of those new sources of income and forced the Glazers and FSG to make grovelling apologies to fans.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 27, 2022
There may be some grovelling involved and the swagger may diminish for a time, but the 12 clubs still have power through popularity and status - and they know it.
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2021
And there is Orson Welles as Falstaff, and Falstaff is grovelling for Henry V. He’s banished.
From The New Yorker ● Oct. 28, 2019
They fell forward, grovelling heedlessly on the cold earth.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
Definitions 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.
