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
Explanation
If you throw yourself at your mom's feet and beg forgiveness for breaking curfew, that's prostration. Many religious rituals include various forms of prostration, or lying face-downward in a submissive way. When a Catholic kneels to pray in church, or a Muslim bows his head to touch the ground during prayers, it's an act of prostration, or making yourself humble before a god or religious figure. In Hinduism, touching the feet of a guru (or teacher) is a sign of respect, and also a form of prostration. The source of this noun is the adjective prostrate, literally "lying face-down," from the Latin prosternere, "throw down."
Vocabulary lists containing prostration
Dracula
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"Paradise Lost" by John Milton, Book V
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Killers of the Flower Moon
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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.
"Understanding concepts such as ghusl – ablution – the distinctions in prostration between genders, and the prerequisites for prayer are crucial."
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2025
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
Even with the smartphone’s on-purpose designed-in distraction notification architecture, our prostration at their non-human feet is the real issue.
From The Guardian • Oct. 24, 2020
He did his prostration, his head to the ground.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
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.
