kneel

verb

ˈnēl 

knelt ˈnelt  or kneeled; kneeling

intransitive verb

: to position the body so that one or both knees rest on the floor

The prisoners were ordered to kneel.

: to fall or rest on the knees

She kneeled on the floor next to the child.

Examples of kneel in a Sentence

She was kneeling on the floor beside her child.

He was kneeling in front of the altar and praying.

Recent Examples on the Web

Liang, kneeling before me, made a praying gesture and rubbed his hands together to warm them. —Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025

At the end of Saturday night’s performance, an emotional Belinda knelt down as a sign of respect and gratitude toward Shakira. —Natalia Cano, Billboard, 31 Aug. 2025

The Mule lands on the planet, and Indbur the weasel immediately kneels before the pirate, completely surrendering. —Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2025

Maricela Torres laid a bouquet of flowers before a life-size sculpture of the Virgin Mary and knelt to the ground at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines. —Paulina Czupryna, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English knelen, from Old English cnēowlian; akin to Old English cnēow knee

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for kneel

• beal
• chiel
• ciel
• creel
• deal
• diel
• eel
• feel
• feil
• heal
• heel
• keel

Kids Definition

kneel

verb

ˈnē(ə)l 

knelt ˈnelt  or kneeled

ˈnē(ə)ld

; kneeling

: to bend the knee : support oneself on the knees

kneeler noun