grovel
verb (used without object)
to humble oneself or act in an abject manner, as in great fear or utter servility.
had been grovelling
-
past perfect progressiveof grovel.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
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.
He is in bad shape—his clothes torn and dirty, covered with sawdust as if he had been grovelling or sleeping on barroom floors.
From Anna Christie by Eugene O'Neill
He had been grovelling, pleading, weeping, beseeching, but the utter uselessness of it at last came upon him and some of his courage returned.
From Sir Henry Morgan, Buccaneer A Romance of the Spanish Main by Will Crawford
He had been grovelling on earth, with no thoughts beyond its fleeting goods; the vision lifts his eyes from the low level on which they had been gazing.
From Expositions of Holy Scripture by Alexander Maclaren
"Ah, my deliverer!" he cried as he rose from the floor, where he had been grovelling in heartrending paroxysms of grief.
From Dead Souls by D. J. Hogarth
