kneel

[ neel ]
/ nil /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR kneel ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), knelt or kneeled, kneel·ing.

to go down or rest on the knees or a knee.

noun

the action or position of kneeling.

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of kneel

before 1000; Middle English knelen, Old English cnēowlian (cognate with Low German knelen, Dutch knielen). See knee, -le

OTHER WORDS FROM kneel

kneel·ing·ly, adverbun·kneel·ing, adjective

Words nearby kneel

knee-sprung, knee-trembling, kneeboard, kneecap, kneehole, kneel, kneeler, kneeling bus, kneepad, kneepan, kneepiece
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to kneel

bow, stoop, genuflect, kowtow, curtsey

Example sentences from the Web for kneel

British Dictionary definitions for kneel

kneel
/ (niːl) /

verb kneels, kneeling, knelt or kneeled

(intr) to rest, fall, or support oneself on one's knees

noun

the act or position of kneeling

Derived forms of kneel

kneeler, noun

Word Origin for kneel

Old English cnēowlian; see knee
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