- grovel
- I(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)II(Roget's IV) v.Syn. crawl, cringe, fawn, fawn upon, beg, sneak, stoop, kneel, crouch before, truckle, kowtow, implore, toady, sponge, cower, snivel, beseech, wheedle, blandish, flatter, cater to, humor, pamper, curry favor with, make much of, court, act up to, play up to*, beg for mercy, prostrate, reverence, eat humble pie*, soft-soap*, butter up*, make up to*, kiss one's feet*, lick the dust*, dance attendance on*, lick another's boots*, knuckle under*, polish the apple*, eat dirt*, brown-nose*, suck up to*, shine up to*, kiss up to*.Ant. hate*, spurn, scorn.III(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) v.*bow and scrape, kowtow, cringe, beg, *kiss up, *brownnose, toady, *fall all over, demean oneself, fawn, *bootlick, *kiss feet, cower, *suck up to, wheedle, cower, *apple-polish, kneel before, worm.ANT.: defy, challenge, dominateIV(Roget's Thesaurus II) verb To support slavishly every opinion or suggestion of a superior: bootlick, cringe, fawn, kowtow, slaver, toady, truckle. Informal: apple-polish, brownnose, cotton. Slang: suck up. Idioms: curry favor, dance attendance, kiss someone's feet, lick someone's boots. See OVER.
English dictionary for students. 2013.