"grovel" meaning in English

See grovel in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Audio: en-us-grovel.ogg [US] 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 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, {{m|non|grœfla|t=to grovel}} grœfla (“to grovel”), {{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”), {{m|non|grúfa|t=to lie face down, grovel}} grúfa (“to lie face down, grovel”), {{cog|sco|grovel}} Scots grovel, {{m|sco|gruvil|t=to grovel}} gruvil (“to 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)
    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 94 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), 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 3 5 77 12
  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 Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 6 3 5 24 63 Disambiguation of 'to take pleasure in mundane things': 1 2 2 5 89
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: groveler, groveller

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for grovel meaning in English (12.5kB)

{
  "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": "non",
        "2": "grœfla",
        "t": "to grovel"
      },
      "expansion": "grœfla (“to grovel”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "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": "non",
        "2": "grúfa",
        "t": "to lie face down, grovel"
      },
      "expansion": "grúfa (“to lie face down, grovel”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "sco",
        "2": "grovel"
      },
      "expansion": "Scots grovel",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "sco",
        "2": "gruvil",
        "t": "to grovel"
      },
      "expansion": "gruvil (“to grovel”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "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"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "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": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To crawl."
      ],
      "id": "en-grovel-en-verb-AjGohpo2",
      "links": [
        [
          "crawl",
          "crawl"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To crawl."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 1 1 3",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "pǎlzja",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "пълзя"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 1 1 3",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "arrossegar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 1 1 3",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "plazit se"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 1 1 3",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "krybe"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 1 1 3",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "kravle"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 1 1 3",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "kruipen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 1 1 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "ryömiä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 1 1 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "madella"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 1 1 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "kontata"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 1 1 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "kriechen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 1 1 3",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "strisciare"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 1 1 3",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "pólzatʹ",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "по́лзать"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 1 1 3",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "puzati"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 1 1 3",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "plaziti"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 1 1 3",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "to crawl",
          "word": "gmizati"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 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 3 5 77 12",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "podmazvam se",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "подмазвам се"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 3 5 77 12",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "rabolepniča",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "раболепнича"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 3 5 77 12",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "lízat paty"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 3 5 77 12",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "kruipen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 3 5 77 12",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "mielistellä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 3 5 77 12",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "larbiner"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 3 5 77 12",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "kriechen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 3 5 77 12",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "schleimen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 3 5 77 12",
          "code": "he",
          "lang": "Hebrew",
          "roman": "hitrapés",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "התרפס"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 3 5 77 12",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "ingraziarsi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 3 5 77 12",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "presmykátʹsja",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "пресмыка́ться"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 3 5 77 12",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "puzati"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 3 5 77 12",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "ayaklarına/dizlerine kapanmak"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 3 5 77 12",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "to be slavishly nice in the hope of securing something",
          "word": "sürünmek"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "6 3 5 24 63",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "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 2 5 89",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to take pleasure in mundane things",
          "word": "rypeä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 2 5 89",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to take pleasure in mundane things",
          "word": "grufolarsi"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɒvəl"
    },
    {
      "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",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "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 terms with audio links",
    "English verbs",
    "Rhymes:English/ɒvəl",
    "Rhymes:English/ɒvəl/2 syllables"
  ],
  "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": "non",
        "2": "grœfla",
        "t": "to grovel"
      },
      "expansion": "grœfla (“to grovel”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "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": "non",
        "2": "grúfa",
        "t": "to lie face down, grovel"
      },
      "expansion": "grúfa (“to lie face down, grovel”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "sco",
        "2": "grovel"
      },
      "expansion": "Scots grovel",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "sco",
        "2": "gruvil",
        "t": "to grovel"
      },
      "expansion": "gruvil (“to grovel”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "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": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "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": [
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɒvəl"
    },
    {
      "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",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "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": "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": "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"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-30 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (210104c and c9440ce). 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.