"grovel" meaning in English

See grovel in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

IPA: /ˈɡrɒvəl/, /ˈɡrʌvəl/ Audio: en-us-grovel.ogg Forms: grovels [present, singular, third-person], grovelling [UK, participle, present], groveling [US, participle, present], grovelled [UK, participle, past], grovelled [UK, past], groveled [US, participle, past], groveled [US, past]
Rhymes: -ɒvəl, -ʌvəl Etymology: From Middle English *grovelen, from Old Norse grufla, grœfla (“to grovel”), from Proto-Germanic *grubilōną (“to dig, delve into”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrebʰ‑ (“to dig, scrape, scrabble, scratch”); akin to Old Norse á grufu (“on one's belly”) ( > Old Norse grúfa (“to lie face down, grovel”)). Cognate with Scots grovel, gruvil (“to grovel”), German grübeln (“to meditate, ponder”), Norwegian Nynorsk gruvla (“to grovel”). Compare also West Frisian groebeltsje (“to make a mess, skip school, skive”), Dutch grobbelen (“to grope, root, grub”). Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|*grovelen}} Middle English *grovelen, {{der|en|non|grufla}} Old Norse grufla, {{der|en|gem-pro|*grubilōną|t=to dig, delve into}} Proto-Germanic *grubilōną (“to dig, delve into”), {{der|en|ine-pro|*gʰrebʰ‑|t=to dig, scrape, scrabble, scratch}} Proto-Indo-European *gʰrebʰ‑ (“to dig, scrape, scrabble, scratch”), {{cog|non|á grufu|t=on one's belly}} Old Norse á grufu (“on one's belly”), {{cog|sco|grovel}} Scots grovel, {{cog|de|grübeln|t=to meditate, ponder}} German grübeln (“to meditate, ponder”), {{cog|nn|gruvla|t=to grovel}} Norwegian Nynorsk gruvla (“to grovel”), {{cog|fy|groebeltsje|t=to make a mess, skip school, skive}} West Frisian groebeltsje (“to make a mess, skip school, skive”), {{cog|nl|grobbelen|t=to grope, root, grub}} Dutch grobbelen (“to grope, root, grub”) Head templates: {{en-verb|++|past2=groveled|past2_qual=US|past_qual=UK|pres_ptc2=groveling|pres_ptc2_qual=US|pres_ptc_qual=UK}} grovel (third-person singular simple present grovels, present participle (UK) grovelling or (US) groveling, simple past and past participle (UK) grovelled or (US) groveled)
  1. (intransitive) To be prone on the ground. Tags: intransitive Translations (to be prone on the ground): лежа по очи (leža po oči) (Bulgarian), olla rähmällään (Finnish), giacere bocconi (Italian), giacere prono (Italian), tāpapa (Maori), лежа́ть ниц (ležátʹ nic) [imperfective] (Russian), prostrarse (Spanish), postrarse (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-grovel-en-verb-jtEipSt2 Disambiguation of 'to be prone on the ground': 97 0 1 1 1
  2. (intransitive) To crawl. Tags: intransitive Translations (to crawl): пълзя (pǎlzja) (Bulgarian), arrossegar (Catalan), plazit se (Czech), krybe (Danish), kravle (Danish), kruipen (Dutch), ryömiä (Finnish), madella (Finnish), kontata (Finnish), kriechen (German), strisciare (Italian), по́лзать (pólzatʹ) (Russian), puzati (Serbo-Croatian), plaziti (Serbo-Croatian), gmizati (Serbo-Croatian), sürünmek (Turkish)
    Sense id: en-grovel-en-verb-AjGohpo2 Disambiguation of 'to crawl': 1 95 1 1 3
  3. (intransitive) To abase oneself before another person. Tags: intransitive Translations (to abase oneself): sürünmək (Azerbaijani), iməkləmək (Azerbaijani), alçalmaq (Azerbaijani), унижавам се (unižavam se) (Bulgarian), ponižovat se [imperfective] (Czech), plazit se [imperfective] (Czech), nöyristellä (Finnish), madella (Finnish), olla rähmällään (Finnish), s’abaisser (French), kriechen (German), katzbuckeln (German), auf dem Bauch rutschen (German), abbassarsi (Italian), umiliarsi (Italian), whakapāpaku (Maori), унижа́ться (unižátʹsja) (Russian), пресмыка́ться (presmykátʹsja) (Russian), humillarse (Spanish), sürünmek (Turkish)
    Sense id: en-grovel-en-verb-8UYAuGnK Disambiguation of 'to abase oneself': 1 2 92 1 4
  4. (intransitive) To be slavishly nice to someone or apologize in the hope of securing something. Tags: intransitive Translations (to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something): подмазвам се (podmazvam se) (Bulgarian), раболепнича (rabolepniča) (Bulgarian), lízat paty [imperfective] (Czech), kruipen (Dutch), mielistellä (Finnish), larbiner (French), kriechen (German), schleimen (German), התרפס (hitrapés) (Hebrew), ingraziarsi (Italian), пресмыка́ться (presmykátʹsja) (Russian), puzati (Serbo-Croatian), arrastrarse (Spanish), humillarse (Spanish), ayaklarına/dizlerine kapanmak (Turkish), sürünmek (Turkish)
    Sense id: en-grovel-en-verb-Q2xoRcnQ Disambiguation of 'to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something': 3 2 5 74 16
  5. (intransitive) To take pleasure in mundane activities. Tags: intransitive Translations (to take pleasure in mundane things): rypeä (Finnish), grufolarsi (Italian)
    Sense id: en-grovel-en-verb-R6lDqNyl Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Azerbaijani translations, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with Catalan translations, Terms with Czech translations, Terms with Danish translations, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Hebrew translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Maori translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Terms with Turkish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 5 3 9 23 60 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 4 5 6 22 63 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 5 5 5 22 63 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 3 4 5 21 66 Disambiguation of Terms with Azerbaijani translations: 5 5 26 20 44 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 7 7 8 23 55 Disambiguation of Terms with Catalan translations: 7 7 8 23 55 Disambiguation of Terms with Czech translations: 6 5 25 23 42 Disambiguation of Terms with Danish translations: 4 4 5 21 65 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 8 10 10 21 51 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 6 6 7 21 60 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 7 8 9 19 57 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 7 7 8 22 56 Disambiguation of Terms with Hebrew translations: 7 7 8 23 55 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 6 7 8 21 58 Disambiguation of Terms with Maori translations: 6 6 7 21 60 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 6 7 8 24 55 Disambiguation of Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations: 5 5 26 20 44 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 6 8 8 19 60 Disambiguation of Terms with Turkish translations: 7 7 8 23 56 Disambiguation of 'to take pleasure in mundane things': 1 2 3 6 88
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: groveler, groveller

Inflected forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "groveler"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "groveller"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "*grovelen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English *grovelen",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "grufla"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse grufla",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*grubilōną",
        "t": "to dig, delve into"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *grubilōną (“to dig, delve into”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*gʰrebʰ‑",
        "t": "to dig, scrape, scrabble, scratch"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *gʰrebʰ‑ (“to dig, scrape, scrabble, scratch”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "non",
        "2": "á grufu",
        "t": "on one's belly"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse á grufu (“on one's belly”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "sco",
        "2": "grovel"
      },
      "expansion": "Scots grovel",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "grübeln",
        "t": "to meditate, ponder"
      },
      "expansion": "German grübeln (“to meditate, ponder”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "nn",
        "2": "gruvla",
        "t": "to grovel"
      },
      "expansion": "Norwegian Nynorsk gruvla (“to grovel”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "fy",
        "2": "groebeltsje",
        "t": "to make a mess, skip school, skive"
      },
      "expansion": "West Frisian groebeltsje (“to make a mess, skip school, skive”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "grobbelen",
        "t": "to grope, root, grub"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch grobbelen (“to grope, root, grub”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English *grovelen, from Old Norse grufla, grœfla (“to grovel”), from Proto-Germanic *grubilōną (“to dig, delve into”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrebʰ‑ (“to dig, scrape, scrabble, scratch”); akin to Old Norse á grufu (“on one's belly”) ( > Old Norse grúfa (“to lie face down, grovel”)). Cognate with Scots grovel, gruvil (“to grovel”), German grübeln (“to meditate, ponder”), Norwegian Nynorsk gruvla (“to grovel”). Compare also West Frisian groebeltsje (“to make a mess, skip school, skive”), Dutch grobbelen (“to grope, root, grub”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "grovels",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "grovelling",
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "groveling",
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "grovelled",
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "grovelled",
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "groveled",
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "groveled",
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "++",
        "past2": "groveled",
        "past2_qual": "US",
        "past_qual": "UK",
        "pres_ptc2": "groveling",
        "pres_ptc2_qual": "US",
        "pres_ptc_qual": "UK"
      },
      "expansion": "grovel (third-person singular simple present grovels, present participle (UK) grovelling or (US) groveling, simple past and past participle (UK) grovelled or (US) groveled)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "To be prone on the ground."
      ],
      "id": "en-grovel-en-verb-jtEipSt2",
      "links": [
        [
          "prone",
          "prone"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To be prone on the ground."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "97 0 1 1 1",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "leža po oči",
          "sense": "to be prone on the ground",
          "word": "лежа по очи"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 0 1 1 1",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to be prone on the ground",
          "word": "olla rähmällään"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 0 1 1 1",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to be prone on the ground",
          "word": "giacere bocconi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 0 1 1 1",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to be prone on the ground",
          "word": "giacere prono"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 0 1 1 1",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "to be prone on the ground",
          "word": "tāpapa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 0 1 1 1",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "ležátʹ nic",
          "sense": "to be prone on the ground",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "лежа́ть ниц"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 0 1 1 1",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to be prone on the ground",
          "word": "prostrarse"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 0 1 1 1",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to be prone on the ground",
          "word": "postrarse"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1985, Shane MacGowan (lyrics and music), “The Old Main Drag”, in Rum Sodomy & the Lash, performed by The Pogues:",
          "text": "In the tube station, the old ones who were on the way out / Would dribble and vomit and grovel and shout",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To crawl."
      ],
      "id": "en-grovel-en-verb-AjGohpo2",
      "links": [
        [
          "crawl",
          "crawl"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To crawl."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 95 1 1 3",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "pǎlzja",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "пълзя"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 95 1 1 3",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "arrossegar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 95 1 1 3",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "plazit se"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 95 1 1 3",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "krybe"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 95 1 1 3",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "kravle"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 95 1 1 3",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "kruipen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 95 1 1 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "ryömiä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 95 1 1 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "madella"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 95 1 1 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "kontata"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 95 1 1 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "kriechen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 95 1 1 3",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "strisciare"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 95 1 1 3",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "pólzatʹ",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "по́лзать"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 95 1 1 3",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "puzati"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 95 1 1 3",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "plaziti"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 95 1 1 3",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "gmizati"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 95 1 1 3",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "sürünmek"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "To abase oneself before another person."
      ],
      "id": "en-grovel-en-verb-8UYAuGnK",
      "links": [
        [
          "abase",
          "abase"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To abase oneself before another person."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 1 4",
          "code": "az",
          "lang": "Azerbaijani",
          "sense": "to abase oneself",
          "word": "sürünmək"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 1 4",
          "code": "az",
          "lang": "Azerbaijani",
          "sense": "to abase oneself",
          "word": "iməkləmək"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 1 4",
          "code": "az",
          "lang": "Azerbaijani",
          "sense": "to abase oneself",
          "word": "alçalmaq"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 1 4",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "unižavam se",
          "sense": "to abase oneself",
          "word": "унижавам се"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 1 4",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "to abase oneself",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "ponižovat se"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 1 4",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "to abase oneself",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "plazit se"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 1 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to abase oneself",
          "word": "nöyristellä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 1 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to abase oneself",
          "word": "madella"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 1 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to abase oneself",
          "word": "olla rähmällään"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 1 4",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to abase oneself",
          "word": "s’abaisser"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 1 4",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to abase oneself",
          "word": "kriechen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 1 4",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to abase oneself",
          "word": "katzbuckeln"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 1 4",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to abase oneself",
          "word": "auf dem Bauch rutschen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 1 4",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to abase oneself",
          "word": "abbassarsi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 1 4",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to abase oneself",
          "word": "umiliarsi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 1 4",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "to abase oneself",
          "word": "whakapāpaku"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 1 4",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "unižátʹsja",
          "sense": "to abase oneself",
          "word": "унижа́ться"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 1 4",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "presmykátʹsja",
          "sense": "to abase oneself",
          "word": "пресмыка́ться"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 1 4",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to abase oneself",
          "word": "humillarse"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 92 1 4",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "to abase oneself",
          "word": "sürünmek"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "To be slavishly nice to someone or apologize in the hope of securing something."
      ],
      "id": "en-grovel-en-verb-Q2xoRcnQ",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To be slavishly nice to someone or apologize in the hope of securing something."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 5 74 16",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "podmazvam se",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "подмазвам се"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 5 74 16",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "rabolepniča",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "раболепнича"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 5 74 16",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "lízat paty"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 5 74 16",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "kruipen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 5 74 16",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "mielistellä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 5 74 16",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "larbiner"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 5 74 16",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "kriechen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 5 74 16",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "schleimen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 5 74 16",
          "code": "he",
          "lang": "Hebrew",
          "roman": "hitrapés",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "התרפס"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 5 74 16",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "ingraziarsi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 5 74 16",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "presmykátʹsja",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "пресмыка́ться"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 5 74 16",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "puzati"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 5 74 16",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "arrastrarse"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 5 74 16",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "humillarse"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 5 74 16",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "ayaklarına/dizlerine kapanmak"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 5 74 16",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "sürünmek"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "5 3 9 23 60",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
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        {
          "_dis": "4 5 6 22 63",
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          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
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        {
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        {
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        {
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        {
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        {
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        {
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        {
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      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To take pleasure in mundane activities."
      ],
      "id": "en-grovel-en-verb-R6lDqNyl",
      "links": [
        [
          "mundane",
          "mundane"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To take pleasure in mundane activities."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 3 6 88",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to take pleasure in mundane things",
          "word": "rypeä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 3 6 88",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to take pleasure in mundane things",
          "word": "grufolarsi"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɡrɒvəl/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɡrʌvəl/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɒvəl"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ʌvəl"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-grovel.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/78/En-us-grovel.ogg/En-us-grovel.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/En-us-grovel.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "grovel"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms derived from Old Norse",
    "English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
    "English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɒvəl",
    "Rhymes:English/ɒvəl/2 syllables",
    "Rhymes:English/ʌvəl",
    "Rhymes:English/ʌvəl/2 syllables",
    "Terms with Azerbaijani translations",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with Catalan translations",
    "Terms with Czech translations",
    "Terms with Danish translations",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Hebrew translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Maori translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Terms with Turkish translations"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "groveler"
    },
    {
      "word": "groveller"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "*grovelen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English *grovelen",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "grufla"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse grufla",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*grubilōną",
        "t": "to dig, delve into"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *grubilōną (“to dig, delve into”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*gʰrebʰ‑",
        "t": "to dig, scrape, scrabble, scratch"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *gʰrebʰ‑ (“to dig, scrape, scrabble, scratch”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "non",
        "2": "á grufu",
        "t": "on one's belly"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse á grufu (“on one's belly”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "sco",
        "2": "grovel"
      },
      "expansion": "Scots grovel",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "grübeln",
        "t": "to meditate, ponder"
      },
      "expansion": "German grübeln (“to meditate, ponder”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "nn",
        "2": "gruvla",
        "t": "to grovel"
      },
      "expansion": "Norwegian Nynorsk gruvla (“to grovel”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "fy",
        "2": "groebeltsje",
        "t": "to make a mess, skip school, skive"
      },
      "expansion": "West Frisian groebeltsje (“to make a mess, skip school, skive”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "grobbelen",
        "t": "to grope, root, grub"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch grobbelen (“to grope, root, grub”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English *grovelen, from Old Norse grufla, grœfla (“to grovel”), from Proto-Germanic *grubilōną (“to dig, delve into”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrebʰ‑ (“to dig, scrape, scrabble, scratch”); akin to Old Norse á grufu (“on one's belly”) ( > Old Norse grúfa (“to lie face down, grovel”)). Cognate with Scots grovel, gruvil (“to grovel”), German grübeln (“to meditate, ponder”), Norwegian Nynorsk gruvla (“to grovel”). Compare also West Frisian groebeltsje (“to make a mess, skip school, skive”), Dutch grobbelen (“to grope, root, grub”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "grovels",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "grovelling",
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "groveling",
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "grovelled",
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "grovelled",
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "groveled",
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "groveled",
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "++",
        "past2": "groveled",
        "past2_qual": "US",
        "past_qual": "UK",
        "pres_ptc2": "groveling",
        "pres_ptc2_qual": "US",
        "pres_ptc_qual": "UK"
      },
      "expansion": "grovel (third-person singular simple present grovels, present participle (UK) grovelling or (US) groveling, simple past and past participle (UK) grovelled or (US) groveled)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To be prone on the ground."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "prone",
          "prone"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To be prone on the ground."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1985, Shane MacGowan (lyrics and music), “The Old Main Drag”, in Rum Sodomy & the Lash, performed by The Pogues:",
          "text": "In the tube station, the old ones who were on the way out / Would dribble and vomit and grovel and shout",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To crawl."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "crawl",
          "crawl"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To crawl."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To abase oneself before another person."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "abase",
          "abase"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To abase oneself before another person."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To be slavishly nice to someone or apologize in the hope of securing something."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To be slavishly nice to someone or apologize in the hope of securing something."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To take pleasure in mundane activities."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "mundane",
          "mundane"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To take pleasure in mundane activities."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɡrɒvəl/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɡrʌvəl/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɒvəl"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ʌvəl"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-grovel.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/78/En-us-grovel.ogg/En-us-grovel.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/En-us-grovel.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "leža po oči",
      "sense": "to be prone on the ground",
      "word": "лежа по очи"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to be prone on the ground",
      "word": "olla rähmällään"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to be prone on the ground",
      "word": "giacere bocconi"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to be prone on the ground",
      "word": "giacere prono"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "to be prone on the ground",
      "word": "tāpapa"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "ležátʹ nic",
      "sense": "to be prone on the ground",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "лежа́ть ниц"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to be prone on the ground",
      "word": "prostrarse"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to be prone on the ground",
      "word": "postrarse"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "pǎlzja",
      "sense": "to crawl",
      "word": "пълзя"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "to crawl",
      "word": "arrossegar"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "to crawl",
      "word": "plazit se"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "to crawl",
      "word": "krybe"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "to crawl",
      "word": "kravle"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "to crawl",
      "word": "kruipen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to crawl",
      "word": "ryömiä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to crawl",
      "word": "madella"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to crawl",
      "word": "kontata"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to crawl",
      "word": "kriechen"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to crawl",
      "word": "strisciare"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "pólzatʹ",
      "sense": "to crawl",
      "word": "по́лзать"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "to crawl",
      "word": "puzati"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "to crawl",
      "word": "plaziti"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "to crawl",
      "word": "gmizati"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "to crawl",
      "word": "sürünmek"
    },
    {
      "code": "az",
      "lang": "Azerbaijani",
      "sense": "to abase oneself",
      "word": "sürünmək"
    },
    {
      "code": "az",
      "lang": "Azerbaijani",
      "sense": "to abase oneself",
      "word": "iməkləmək"
    },
    {
      "code": "az",
      "lang": "Azerbaijani",
      "sense": "to abase oneself",
      "word": "alçalmaq"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "unižavam se",
      "sense": "to abase oneself",
      "word": "унижавам се"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "to abase oneself",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "ponižovat se"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "to abase oneself",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "plazit se"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to abase oneself",
      "word": "nöyristellä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to abase oneself",
      "word": "madella"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to abase oneself",
      "word": "olla rähmällään"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to abase oneself",
      "word": "s’abaisser"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to abase oneself",
      "word": "kriechen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to abase oneself",
      "word": "katzbuckeln"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to abase oneself",
      "word": "auf dem Bauch rutschen"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to abase oneself",
      "word": "abbassarsi"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to abase oneself",
      "word": "umiliarsi"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "to abase oneself",
      "word": "whakapāpaku"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "unižátʹsja",
      "sense": "to abase oneself",
      "word": "унижа́ться"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "presmykátʹsja",
      "sense": "to abase oneself",
      "word": "пресмыка́ться"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to abase oneself",
      "word": "humillarse"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "to abase oneself",
      "word": "sürünmek"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "podmazvam se",
      "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
      "word": "подмазвам се"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "rabolepniča",
      "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
      "word": "раболепнича"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "lízat paty"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
      "word": "kruipen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
      "word": "mielistellä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
      "word": "larbiner"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
      "word": "kriechen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
      "word": "schleimen"
    },
    {
      "code": "he",
      "lang": "Hebrew",
      "roman": "hitrapés",
      "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
      "word": "התרפס"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
      "word": "ingraziarsi"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "presmykátʹsja",
      "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
      "word": "пресмыка́ться"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
      "word": "puzati"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
      "word": "arrastrarse"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
      "word": "humillarse"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
      "word": "ayaklarına/dizlerine kapanmak"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
      "word": "sürünmek"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to take pleasure in mundane things",
      "word": "rypeä"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to take pleasure in mundane things",
      "word": "grufolarsi"
    }
  ],
  "word": "grovel"
}

Download raw JSONL data for grovel meaning in English (12.1kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-03-13 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-03-02 using wiktextract (f074e77 and 633533e). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.