prostrate

1 of 2

adjective

pros·​trate ˈprä-ˌstrāt 

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 

 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 apology

—Claudia 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.

Synonyms

Adjective

• exhausted
• tired
• weary
• dead
• wearied
• drained
• beaten
• worn

Verb

• weaken
• soften
• injure
• waste
• tire
• hurt

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

To his right, where the prostrate body of a dying woman was jostled in the bloody fray. —Dan Barry, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2025

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

Verb

Typically, penitents would remain outside church gatherings, demonstrating their repentance by prostrating themselves, and then publicly confess. —Timothy Gabrielli, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2025

First each member, in turn, would prostrate himself while the others, marching in a circle, stepped over him and struck him with their scourges. —Michael Robbins, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025

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

Phrases Containing prostrate

• prostrate oneself

Kids Definition

prostrate

1 of 2 adjective

pros·​trate ˈpräs-ˌtrāt 

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 

: 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