grovel
verb (used without object)
to humble oneself or act in an abject manner, as in great fear or utter servility.
were grovelling
-
past progressiveof grovel.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
I’ve been thinking it out while you were grovelling up there like a rat, and I think that the air will soon be all driven out of the mine by the water.
From Sappers and Miners The Flood beneath the Sea by Hal Hurst
They were grovelling at his feet on the instant, and a driver behind me laughed.
From Gil the Gunner The Youngest Officer in the East by William Heysham Overend
The two young men who drove them had fallen flat and were grovelling and wailing for mercy.
From The Sirdar's Oath A Tale of the North-West Frontier by Bertram Mitford
The young woman stared at him as though he were grovelling stupidity, and then lay back on her cushions with a "You will drive on, Samuel."
From The Highwayman by H. C. (Henry Christopher) Bailey
Ragged urchins waylaid him, the girls and the old women put their heads out of the doors and gaped after him, while a group of children who were grovelling on the shore cheered him lustily.
From Garman and Worse A Norwegian Novel by Alexander Lange Kielland
