Synonyms of groveling

groveling 1 of 2

adjective

variants or grovelling

as in fawning

Related Words

• fawning
• obsequious
• servile
• sycophantic
• kowtowing
• subservient
• toadying
• genuflecting
• worshipful
• hagiographic
• reverential
• reverent
• courteous
• deferential
• polite
• dutiful
• civil
• respectful
• venerating
• gracious
• deferent
• regardful
• kid-glove
• kid-gloved

Dissimilar Words

• disrespectful
• insulting
• abusive
• offensive
• demeaning
• derogatory
• contemptuous
• disparaging
• undutiful
• impudent
• scornful
• insolent
• irreverent
• rude
• belittling
• depreciatory
• discourteous
• depreciative
• uncivil

groveling

2 of 2

verb

variants or grovelling

present participle of grovel

1

as in cringing

to draw back or crouch down in fearful submission

the way in which the abused dog would grovel whenever its owner came near

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cringing
• flinching
• cowering
• recoiling
• quailing
• fawning
• kowtowing
• shrinking
• blanching
• whitening
• toadying
• blenching
• squinching

2

as in crawling

to move slowly with the body close to the ground

because of their anatomy, bats can only grovel while moving along the ground

Synonyms & Similar Words

• crawling
• creeping
• sliding
• snaking
• slithering
• wriggling
• crouching
• squatting
• tiptoeing
• bellying
• sneaking
• worming
• stealing
• inching
• edging
• skulking
• nosing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of groveling

Adjective

Roger resigns in disgrace, his numerous groveling apologies go unaccepted and he is sentenced to a lifetime guest spot on The View. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Verb

The 76ers, team sources said, had thought about the potential downside of Myers’ pitch being viewed as groveling publicly. — David Aldridge, New York Times, 25 July 2026

Abject, groveling apologies to Moss and everybody on the longevity team! — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026

Cue the fine and the groveling league apology. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026

Political courage is needed, especially from the cowardly, groveling Congress. — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 18 Jan. 2026

That’s the saddest cash-grab gimmick ever, groveling for Dubai dollars. — Sports Columnist, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 Jan. 2026

Rather than wait it out until January 2029, when magical thinking assumes the current transatlantic nightmare will come to an end, the EU needs to stop groveling and build greater sovereignty. — Matthias Matthijs, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2025