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

McLaurin stayed down while teammates knelt nearby before he was driven off the field. — ABC News, 19 Oct. 2026

The Hurricanes couldn’t get down the field on their final drive and the Seminoles kneeled out from there. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026

The man then raised his hands into what deputies thought was a shooting position, kneeling behind a concrete light pole. — Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026

The driver then raised his hands into what deputies perceived as a shooting position while kneeling behind a concrete light pole. — Grace Bellinghausen, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026

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