grovel

Related to grovel: Gravol

grovel

To interact with someone in an overtly agreeable or deferential manner. Well, if your mother's mad at me, I guess I'm going to have to grovel—we want this family dinner to be pleasant, after all. Come, we must grovel before the king.

grovel about in (something)

To show one's respect or deference by lying down on the ground in some specific substance. I won't grovel about in filth for anyone!
See also: grovel

grovel before (someone)

To interact with someone in an overtly agreeable or deferential manner. The phrase can also specifically refer to the act of prostration. Well, if your mother's mad at me, I guess I'm going to have to grovel before her—we want this family dinner to be pleasant, after all. Get down and grovel before your king.
See also: before, grovel

grovel in (something)

1. To interact with someone in an overtly agreeable or deferential manner, usually with a particular aim (indicated after "in"). Well, if your mother's mad at me, I guess I'm going to have to grovel in apology—we want this family dinner to be pleasant, after all.
2. To show one's respect or deference by lying down on the ground in some specific substance. I won't grovel in filth for anyone!
See also: grovel

grovel to (someone)

To interact with someone in an overtly agreeable or deferential manner. It can also refer specifically to the act of kneeling or prostration. Well, if your mother's mad at me, I guess I'm going to have to grovel to her—we want this family dinner to be pleasant, after all. Get down and grovel to your king!
See also: grovel
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

grovel (about) in something

to wallow around in the dirt, etc., while prostrating oneself. The poor fellow groveled about in the mud, trying to keep from being beaten. Why are you there, groveling in the dust?
See also: grovel

grovel before someone or something

to prostrate oneself before someone or something. The prisoner groveled before his accusers. The peasant groveled before the lord of the manor.
See also: before, grovel

grovel to someone

to kneel in deference to someone; to kowtow to someone. You don't have to grovel to me! I refuse to grovel to anyone.
See also: grovel
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

grovel

(ˈgrɑvlæ)
in. to fondle or pet. They spent the whole time in the backseat groveling.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • grovel in
  • grovel in (something)
  • grovel before
  • grovel before (someone)
  • grovel to
  • grovel to (someone)
  • grovel about in (something)
  • respect (someone or something) for (something)
  • respect for
  • eat out of someone's hand, to
References in periodicals archive
We have our own national anthem so let us make this the very last time we publicly grovel to anyone.
Letter: Grovelling to royalty
Calling for a rise in "paltry" levels of compensation, he said: "They shouldn't have to grovel and lose their dignity to get the rightful sums of money they deserve.
Simon in plea for wounded
He said his party leader promotes if you can "grovel for long enough" and "you can read a script".
TD DEASY HITS OUT AT KENNY; Backbencher says loyalty tops merit in posts; Taoiseach 'does not listen to criticism'
"But if they are down, they grovel, and I intend, with the help of Closey (Brian Close) and a few others, to make them grovel."
Greigy was brave as a lion and a great showman; CRICKET TONY GREIG 1946 -2012
He took far greater joy out of humiliating his manager who was forced to grovel for his job.
Football: John stays, Doug saves
His face-to-face grovel was accompanied by a promise from Home Secretary Theresa May that funding for the current review of secret files on the event will not be hit by ConDem spending cuts.
TORY LOUT
Now the man who guides Harrison's career says the Prince must grovel like a commoner if he wants to get inside the same ring as the man who will fight Julio Pablo Chacon for the WBO world featherweight title next month.
Boxing: HAMED HASN'T HARRISON'S CLASS
In attempting to raise the issue in the Dail yesterday, Liz McManus said: "We had a situation where the national broadcaster had to grovel..."
RTE 'grovelled' over Cowen loo pictures
It was unforgivable, he agrees, the miners were crushed under her stiletto heel and David Cameron needs to grovel. Hear, Hear!
Points of disorder
"In '62 they almost groveled at our feet," said Leland.
Leland in St. Petersburg
The Daley-ordered "police riot" at the Democratic National Convention in 1968 was just what Senator Abraham Ribicoff called it, "Gestapo tactics on the streets in Chicago." As one who saw it and smelled it, I found myself for years savoring Daley's disrepute and that of the Democrats who groveled before him.
AMERICAN PHARAOH: Richard J. Daley: His Battle for Chicago and the Nation