kowtow
Americanverb (used without object)
-
kowtows,
present (3rd person singular)
-
kowtowed,
past participle, past
-
kowtowing
present participle
-
to act in an obsequious manner; show servile deference.
-
to touch the forehead to the ground while kneeling, as an act of worship, reverence, apology, etc., especially in former Chinese custom.
noun
verb
-
to touch the forehead to the ground as a sign of deference: a former Chinese custom
-
(often foll by to) to be servile or obsequious (towards)
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
kowtowsimple
-
kowtowssimple
-
have kowtowedperfect
-
has kowtowedperfect
-
am kowtowingprogressive
-
are kowtowingprogressive
-
is kowtowingprogressive
-
have been kowtowingperfect progressive
-
has been kowtowingperfect progressive
Past
-
kowtowedsimple
-
had kowtowedperfect
-
was kowtowingprogressive
-
were kowtowingprogressive
-
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
100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Lightning Thief
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Sapiens
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Meanwhile, fan group Unsere Kurve said the DFB should not "kowtow to capital" by allowing Red Bull to keep Klopp on their books.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 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
He’s also asking for more streamlining in zoning to combat the rampant NIMBYism that prevents more shelters and interim housing, and that some elected leaders kowtow to on a regular basis.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 18, 2022
“And don’t expect me to kowtow to you, mortal, just because old Barnacle-Beard is your father.”
From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan
The head of the department is a micromanager and everyone kowtows to him.
From New York Times ● Mar. 18, 2023
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
Trees bowed in deep kowtows or broke their backs, a series of snaps like firecrackers popping, until one loud, sickening crack added to the cacophony in the sky.
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
To leave James alone on a first-round island might be unfair, but the Lakers have kowtowed to him plenty in his eight years here.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026
It kowtowed to every fashionable agenda to protect its independence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 8, 2026
She kowtowed to no one, including many of her fellow intellectuals, black and white.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 30, 2017
What would have been really offensive to a lot of us is if he had quietly kowtowed to the establishment and said nothing.
From New York Times ● Jan. 14, 2017
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
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
"A kowtowing of the East towards the West is not a rising East."
From BBC ● May 1, 2025
Rolly never acted like he was kowtowing to the boss.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2023
Other males and females exhibit their submission to the alpha male by bowing before him while making grunting sounds, not unlike human subjects kowtowing before a king.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
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.
