prostration
Americannoun
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the act of prostrating.
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the state of being prostrated.
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extreme mental or emotional depression or dejection.
nervous prostration.
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extreme physical weakness or exhaustion.
heat prostration.
Etymology
Origin of prostration
1520–30; < Late Latin prōstrātiōn- (stem of prōstrātiō ) a lying prone. See prostrate, -ion
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.
"Understanding concepts such as ghusl – ablution – the distinctions in prostration between genders, and the prerequisites for prayer are crucial."
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2025
Americans already know such intimate prostration in smaller everyday events: between loved ones in the moments before a major surgery, before a wedding, or after a graduation.
From Slate • Jul. 22, 2024
With his thick beard, heavy-rimmed glasses and a prominent bruise on his forehead from prostration in prayer, he was notoriously prickly and pedantic.
From Washington Times • Aug. 2, 2022
Most worshippers brought their own prayer rugs and clay tablets used during prostration, said the broadcast.
From Reuters • Oct. 22, 2021
She was unable, after prolonged and insidious interrogations, to ascertain the causes of Amaranta’s prostration.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
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.
