prostrate Hear it!

prostrate Definition

pros·trate (präs′trāt′)

adjective

  1. lying with the face downward in demonstration of great humility or abject submission
  2. lying flat, prone, or supine
  3. thrown or fallen to the ground
    1. laid low; completely overcome; helpless prostrate with grief
    2. in a state of physical exhaustion or weakness
  5. 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

  1. to throw or put in a prostrate position; lay flat on the ground
  2. to lay low; overcome; exhaust or subjugate

prostrate Synonyms

prostrate

modif.

  1. Defenseless

    open, overcome, beaten; see weak 1, 3, 6.

  2. Submissive

    given in, obedient, subservient; see docile.

  3. Lying on the ground

    prone, flat, laid low; see lying 4, supine 1. See syn. study at supine.

prostrate Synonyms

prostrate

v.

  1. To submit

    give in, obey, surrender; see bow 2, yield 1.

  2. To overthrow

    wreck, destroy, ruin; see defeat 2.

  3. To bow down

    fall on one's knees, bow and scrape, kowtow, do obeisance; see bow 1.

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.