grovel — to act in an obsequiously servile manner to obtain forgiveness or favor
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to act in an obsequiously servile manner to obtain forgiveness or favor
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈɡrɑːvəl/
Example Sentences
- I refuse to grovel for a promotion I rightfully deserve.
- The cat seemed to grovel whenever it heard the can opener.
- Politicians often grovel before wealthy donors during campaign season.
grovel
VERB[/ˈɡrɑːvəl/]
to act in an obsequiously servile manner to obtain forgiveness or favor
The disgraced minister grovels before the king, begging for mercy on his knees.
Growing smaller while crawling - groveling for the boss's forgiveness!
From hovel to novel, he learned to grovel!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Middle English 'grovelen', derived from Old Norse 'grúfa' meaning 'to grovel' or 'to lie face down', combined with the frequentative suffix '-el', ultimately from Proto-Germanic roots related to crawling or bending low.
Breakdown
grovel: from Old Norse 'grúfa' (to lie face down) + frequentative suffix '-el' (repeated action) = grovel (to crawl or act obsequiously)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“I refuse to grovel for a promotion I rightfully deserve.”
“The cat seemed to grovel whenever it heard the can opener.”
“Politicians often grovel before wealthy donors during campaign season.”
“My roommate had to grovel for three hours before I forgave him for eating my pizza.”
📚Related Words
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