ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary Builder›Words›G›grovel
ISEE/SSAThard
grovel
to behave with excessive submission or humility
Synonyms
- cringe
- kowtow
- cower
Antonyms
- defy
- resist
- assert
grovel in a sentence
The dismissed adviser refused to grovel for the governor's forgiveness.
The defeated courtier began to grovel, praising the king and begging for mercy.
Where it comes from
From Middle English grovelen, meaning 'to lie face down.'
Memory hook
GROVEL begins like GROUND: those who grovel lower themselves toward the ground.
Read it in context
- The Bone That Would Not Settle Science