prostrate Definition
pros·trate (präs′trāt′)
adjective
- lying with the face downward in demonstration of great humility or abject submission
- lying flat, prone, or supine
- thrown or fallen to the ground
- laid low; completely overcome; helpless prostrate with grief
- in a state of physical exhaustion or weakness
- Bot. growing on the ground; trailing
Etymology: ME prostrat < L prostratus, pp. of prosternere, to lay flat < pro-, before + sternere, to stretch out < IE base *ster- > strew
transitive verb -·trat′ed, -·trat′·ing
- to throw or put in a prostrate position; lay flat on the ground
- to lay low; overcome; exhaust or subjugate
prostrate Synonyms
prostrate
modif.
prostrate Synonyms
prostrate
v.
prostrate Usage Examples
Preposition: on
- floor: The left winger was still prostrate on the floor inside the penalty area.
- ground: Well, yes, but Mike was lying prostrate on the ground with the rain pouring down.
Preposition: at
foot: The Establishment shown to be laid prostrate at the feet of the Civil magistrate, 1840.
Modifies a noun
- juniper: The regionally rare prostrate juniper grows on some cliffs.
- shrub: The Cranberry plant, growing in the wild, is a neat, evergreen, prostrate shrub.
- cancer: He had been battling prostrate cancer over the past few years.
- figure: His feet rest on a prostrate figure of a man.
- body: At varying times during his patrol duty, Morse was within 40 to 70 feet from the prostrate body on the abandoned runway #5.
- form: Compton went directly to the longest of the prostrate forms.
Modifying Another Word
- down: You see them bowing and falling down prostrate ( in prayer ), seeking bounty from Allah and ( His ) Good Pleasure.
- then: He then prostrated himself nine times before the tablet and made offerings of silk and jade.
- not: They do not prostrate themselves in the worship of any supposed deity or follow the teachings of any guru.
- completely: While the plant in Spain was completely prostrate in my alpine house it became bushier.
- almost: Mrs. Green stayed with Mrs. Watts, who was almost prostrated with grief, while her son rushed for assistance.
- now: Unusually satirical today, he plies the unwilling veil across, now prostrate in humility.
Used with adjective complement
- lie: Men, women children, all lay prostrate like ears of corn under a tempest.
- fall: I would ride over thee. ' The cook fell prostrate, then turned over on his back.
- lay: The Establishment shown to be laid prostrate at the feet of the Civil magistrate, 1840.
Preposition: in
worship: Upright Disciples Some people of the Bible recite the Holy Scriptures during the night and fall prostrate in worship.
Preposition: with
grief: William, to whom she was irreplaceable, was prostrate with grief at her death.
Browse dictionary entries near prostrate
- ‹ prostomium
- ‹ prostitution
- ‹ prostitute
- ‹ prostie
- ‹ prosthodontics
- ‹ prosthetics
- ‹ prosthetic
- ‹ prosthesis
- ‹ prostato-
- ‹ prostatitis
- prostration ›
- prostyle ›
- prosy ›
- Prot ›
- protégé ›
- protégée ›
- prot- ›
- protactinium ›
- protagonist ›
- Protagoras ›

