prostrate

1 of 2

adjective

pros·​trate ˈprä-ˌstrāt How to pronounce prostrate (audio)
1
: stretched out with face on the ground in adoration or submission
also : lying flat
2
: completely overcome and lacking vitality, will, or power to rise
was prostrate from the heat
3
: trailing on the ground : procumbent
prostrate shrubs

prostrate

2 of 2

verb

pros·​trate ˈprä-ˌstrāt How to pronounce prostrate (audio)
 especially British  prä-ˈstrāt
prostrated; prostrating

transitive verb

1
: to throw or put into a prostrate position
2
: to put (oneself) in a humble and submissive posture or state
the whole town had to prostrate itself in official apologyClaudia Cassidy
3
: to reduce to submission, helplessness, or exhaustion
was prostrated with grief

Did you know?

The Difference Between Prone, Supine, and Prostrate

In literal use, prone and supine indicate contrasting positions of the body: a person lying prone is facing downward while a person lying supine is face up.

Both prone and supine also have meanings that have nothing to do with physical position. Supine, in keeping with the image of one lying comfortably idle, can be applied to those who are willing to be controlled by others, or who show mental or moral slackness, as in "supine obedience" or "supine inaction."

Prone is used in the sense of "having a tendency or inclination," as in "prone to worry" or "accident-prone." This usage is similar to such words as apt, liable, or likely (as in "apt to be late"), but in many instances prone implies a vulnerability to attack or damaging influence, in keeping with the image of one lying face down and unable to see what is approaching.

The word prostrate too has meanings to do with body position. It is used with the very specific meaning of "stretched out with face on the ground in adoration or submission," but is also used simply to mean "lying flat." In figurative use, prostrate means "completely overcome and lacking vitality, will, or power to rise," as in "prostrate in fear."

So while prone, supine, and prostrate have specific meanings with regard to body position, they also come with situational connotations in many cases: prone suggests exposure or vulnerability; supine connotes a position of weakness or passivity; and prostrate implies submission in the face of being overcome.

Choose the Right Synonym for prostrate

prone, supine, prostrate, recumbent mean lying down.

prone implies a position with the front of the body turned toward the supporting surface.

push-ups require a prone position

supine implies lying on one's back and suggests inertness or abjectness.

lying supine on the couch

prostrate implies lying full-length as in submission, defeat, or physical collapse.

a runner fell prostrate at the finish line

recumbent implies the posture of one sleeping or resting.

a patient comfortably recumbent in a hospital bed

Examples of prostrate in a Sentence

Adjective The police found the body in a prostrate position. She was lying prostrate on the bed. They were prostrate from the heat. Verb an athlete prostrated for weeks by a bout of pneumonia the huge increase in gas prices really prostrated the nation's economic engine
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
But this is not that saner world, particularly in the Republican Party, which remains prostrate at Trump’s feet. David Remnick, The New Yorker, 10 Dec. 2023 On the sheer upper slopes of one of the world's most unforgiving peaks, mountaineers, determined to reach the world's second-highest summit in a record-breaking string of ascents, appear to step over the prostrate body of Muhammad Hassan - a Pakistani porter who later died. Eve Sampson, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Aug. 2023 Parsons, having disentangled himself from a Bears tackle, retracing his steps and leaping over a prostrate Montgomery to recover the fumble. Dallas News, 30 Oct. 2022 An excellent prostrate variety well suited to rockeries and pathways. Dennis Peck, oregonlive, 14 Aug. 2022 Johnson then stood over the prostrate Davis and fired two more times into his head, prosecutors said. Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2022 As a prostrate Johnson held his head in both hands in disbelief, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich chose to hold his head high. Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 31 Mar. 2022 Environmentalists have long pushed for prostrate milkweed protection under the Endangered Species Act. Li Cohen, CBS News, 15 Feb. 2022 Most were silently prostrate on their backs, their paws limp in the air, passed out in the nearly 100-degree heat. New York Times, 19 Jan. 2022
Verb
One devotee, 32-year-old Shubham Garg, prostrated continuously for over 370 miles from his hometown in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. TIME, 24 Jan. 2024 He was even accused of saying that Christians should not prostrate themselves to the king or even to images of the Virgin Mary, but only to God. Peter Brown, The New York Review of Books, 24 Sep. 2020 Again and again, as the tempo rose around her, this thin, bespectacled woman prostrated herself in ecstasy, doing what is known in Sanskrit as ashtanga pranam, or the eight-body-part salute: hands, feet, knees, chest and chin. Aatish Taseer, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023 Consider Emily Blunt, a movie star who recently prostrated herself after being savaged online for fat-shaming. Brenda Cronin, WSJ, 29 Oct. 2023 After a moment, the model slips from the chair onto her knees, and then her hands, prostrating herself as if overcome. Nathan Heller, Vogue, 29 Aug. 2023 At the airport, Thaksin prostrated himself before a portrait of Thailand’s king and queen and left a flower wreath — an important gesture of deference for a man often accused of not sufficiently respecting the monarchy, which is widely revered in Thailand. Jintamas Saksornchai, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Aug. 2023 In a display of reverence, all attendees of the Assembly humbly prostrated themselves, paying their respects to the Collection. Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 25 July 2023 Behind them lay almost unimaginable trials and privations that resulted in the deaths of three of their group, prostrated many with illness and forced each to endure long periods of hunger. Larry Rohter, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prostrate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English prostrat, from Anglo-French, from Latin prostratus, past participle of prosternere, from pro- before + sternere to spread out, throw down — more at strew

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of prostrate was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near prostrate

Cite this Entry

“Prostrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prostrate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

prostrate

1 of 2 adjective
pros·​trate ˈpräs-ˌtrāt How to pronounce prostrate (audio)
1
: stretched out with the face on the ground
2
: completely overcome or exhausted
prostrate with grief
3
: trailing on the ground
a prostrate shrub

prostrate

2 of 2 verb
prostrated; prostrating
1
: to throw or put into a prostrate position
2
: to bring to a weak or powerless condition
prostrated with grief

Medical Definition

prostrate

1 of 2 adjective
pros·​trate ˈpräs-ˌtrāt How to pronounce prostrate (audio)
: completely overcome
was prostrate from the heat

prostrate

2 of 2 transitive verb
prostrated; prostrating
: to put into a state of extreme bodily exhaustion
prostrated by fever

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