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grovel

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To grovel is defined as to behave humbly or with humility, as if you are standing before authority.

(verb)

An example of to grovel is to beg and plead for someone's forgiveness.

See grovel in Webster's New World College Dictionary

intransitive verb groveled or grovelled, groveling or grovelling

to lie prone or crawl in a prostrate position, esp. abjectly
to behave humbly or abjectly, as before authority; debase oneself in a servile fashion
to wallow in what is low or contemptible

Origin: back-form. (first found in Shakespeare) < grovelling, down on one's face (assumed to be prp.) < ME grufelinge < gruf, for o grufe, on the face (< ON ā grūfu) + -ling, -ling

Related Forms:

groveler noun or groveller

See grovel in American Heritage Dictionary 4

intransitive verb grov·eled also grov·elled, grov·el·ing also grov·el·ling, grov·els also grov·els

To behave in a servile or demeaning manner; cringe.
To lie or creep in a prostrate position, as in subservience or humility.
To give oneself over to base pleasures: “Have we not groveled here long enough, eating and drinking like mere brutes?” (Walt Whitman).

Origin:

Origin: Back-formation from obsolete groveling, prone, face downward

Origin: , from Middle English

Origin: : (on) grufe, face downwards (from Old Norse ā grūfu, from grūfa, to grovel)

Origin: + -ling, adv. suff.; see -ling²

Related Forms: