grovel

verb

grov·​el ˈgrä-vᵊl  ˈgrə- 

groveled or grovelled; groveling or grovelling

intransitive verb

1

: to creep with the face to the ground : crawl

2

a

: to lie or creep with the body prostrate in token of subservience or abasement

groveled at the feet of the king

b

: to abase oneself

would not grovel for political advantage

3

: to give oneself over to what is base or unworthy : wallow

groveling in self-pity

groveler

ˈgrä-vᵊl-ər 

ˈgrə-

noun

grovelingly

ˈgrä-vᵊl-iŋ-lē 

ˈgrə-

adverb

Synonyms

• cringe
• flinch
• cower

Examples of grovel in a Sentence

The peasants groveled before the king.

He had to grovel to get her to accept his apology.

He made a groveling apology to his girlfriend.

Recent Examples on the Web

Continue reading … POINTING FINGERS – Former vice president accuses newspaper owners of 'groveling' to Trump in new book. —FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2025

With a grovelling apology, United had to ask their fans to stay away from Germany while the team trained. —Beren Cross, New York Times, 28 July 2025

In a statement posted on social media, Iran's mission to the United Nations said: No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House. —Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 19 June 2025

Absolutely, but Colin is eager to please and genuinely loves to grovel. —Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from groveling prone, from groveling, adverb, from Middle English, from gruf, adverb, on the face (from Old Norse ā grūfu) + -ling

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for grovel

• novel

Kids Definition

grovel

verb

grov·​el ˈgräv-əl  ˈgrəv- 

groveled or grovelled; groveling or grovelling

-(ə-)liŋ

1

: to creep or lie face down on the ground (as in fear)

2

: to degrade oneself by behaving in an excessively submissive way : cringe

groveler noun

or groveller

-(ə-)lər