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Kowtow originated as a noun referring to the act of kneeling and touching one's head to the ground as a salute or act of worship to a revered authority. In traditional China this ritual was performed by commoners making requests to the local magistrate, by the emperor to the shrine of Confucius, or by foreign representatives appearing before the emperor to establish trade relations. (In the late 18th century, some Western nations resisted performing the ritual, which acknowledged the Chinese emperor as the "son of heaven.") The word kowtow derives from Chinese koutou, formed by combining the verb kou ("to knock") with the noun tou ("head").
Examples of kowtow in a Sentence
Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 21 Oct. 2025
Modi’s refusal to kowtow to US pressure plays to his political brand built around the image of a strong leader helming an India that is focused on its own interests on the world stage.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 24 July 2025
To cover up his kowtow, the president crowed that Russia and Ukraine would now begin negotiations for a ceasefire.
—Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 23 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Kowtow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kowtow. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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