Grovel

Pronunciation: /ˈɡrʌvəl/

Definitions of grovel

verb to behave in a servile or submissive manner; to act in a demeaning way to seek forgiveness or favor

Example Sentences

A1 The dog groveled at its owner for a treat.

A2 She had to grovel to her boss after making a mistake at work.

B1 The politician had to grovel to the public after his scandal was exposed.

B2 The celebrity refused to grovel to the paparazzi for a photo.

C1 He refused to grovel to anyone, even when facing criticism.

C2 The CEO was forced to grovel to investors after a major financial loss.

Examples of grovel in a Sentence

formal The employee had to grovel to the board of directors in order to keep his job.

informal I can't believe he's groveling for forgiveness again.

slang Stop groveling, it's embarrassing.

figurative She refused to grovel to anyone for the promotion she deserved.

Grammatical Forms of grovel

• past tense: groveled
• plural: grovels
• comparative: more groveling
• superlative: most groveling
• present tense: grovel
• future tense: will grovel
• perfect tense: has groveled
• continuous tense: is groveling
• singular: grovel
• positive degree: grovel
• infinitive: to grovel
• gerund: groveling
• participle: groveled

Origin and Evolution of grovel

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Middle English

Story behind the word: The word 'grovel' originated from the Middle English word 'grovelen' which meant 'to creep, crawl'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'grovel' evolved to mean 'to humble oneself in a demeaning way' or 'to act in a servile manner'.