grovel

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++grov·el /ˈɡrɒvəl $ ˈɡrɑː-, ˈɡrʌ-/ verb (grovelled, grovelling British English, groveled, groveling American English)  1  FRIENDLY[intransitive] to praise someone a lot or behave with a lot of respect towards them because you think that they are important and will be able to help you in some way – used to show disapproval 〔因有求于人而〕卑躬屈膝〔含贬义〕 SYN crawlgrovel to I had to really grovel to the bank manager to get a loan. 为了取得贷款，我只得向银行经理说了一大堆好话。2  LIE DOWN[intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to move along the ground on your hands and knees 爬行，匍匐 I saw him grovelling in the road for his hat. 我看到他趴在路上找帽子。 —grovelling adjective a grovelling apology 低声下气的道歉→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

grovel• If a police officer stops your car, be respectful to him, but don't grovel.• But even that failed to satisfy the council and, last week, a grovelling apology had to be broadcast.• If they want any patients, they must grovel before the family practitioners they previously lorded over.• Not that she would grovel either - devil take it, she'd keep some pride!• That dog grovels every time you shout.• I will not grovel for interviews.• The department is having to grovel for money again.• These are men who lead their daily lives with inflated pomp; they grovel for nothing.• So, what exactly is going on in the pesticide world to reduce me to such grovelling gratitude?• I looked back and saw him grovelling in the road for his hat.• There's nothing worse than seeing a man grovel just to keep his job.• No longer you have to grovel through the woods each spring in hopes of stumbling across a few of these delectable fungi.• I grovelled to my parents and promised I wouldn't do it again.Origin grovel (1800-1900) groveling “lying face downward” ((16-19 centuries)), from groof “on the face” ((14-19 centuries)), from Old Norse grufu

grov·el verbChineseSyllable  

someone Corpus to praise a or behave a lot with

grovel
grov‧el /ˈɡrɒvəl $ ˈɡrɑː-, ˈɡrʌ-/ verb (past tense and past participle grovelled, present participle grovelling British English, groveled, groveling American English)1. [intransitive] to praise someone a lot or behave with a lot of respect towards them because you think that they are important and will be able to help you in some way – used to show disapproval
   SYN  crawl
    grovel to
    I had to really grovel to the bank manager to get a loan.
2. [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to move along the ground on your hands and knees:
    I saw him grovelling in the road for his hat.
—grovelling adjective:
    a grovelling apology

grovelBrE /ˈɡrɒvl/ 🔊NAmE /ˈɡrɑːvl/ 🔊 verbpresent simple - I / you / we / they grovel BrE /ˈɡrɒvl/ 🔊 NAmE /ˈɡrɑːvl/ 🔊present simple - he / she / it grovels BrE /ˈɡrɒvlz/ 🔊 NAmE /ˈɡrɑːvlz/ 🔊past simple grovelled BrE /ˈɡrɒvld/ 🔊 NAmE /ˈɡrɑːvld/ 🔊past participle grovelled BrE /ˈɡrɒvld/ 🔊 NAmE /ˈɡrɑːvld/ 🔊past simple (especially US) groveled BrE /ˈɡrɒvld/ 🔊 NAmE /ˈɡrɑːvld/ 🔊past participle (especially US) groveled BrE /ˈɡrɒvld/ 🔊 NAmE /ˈɡrɑːvld/ 🔊 -ing form grovelling BrE /ˈɡrɒvlɪŋ/ 🔊 NAmE /ˈɡrɑːvlɪŋ/ 🔊 -ing form (especially US) groveling BrE /ˈɡrɒvlɪŋ/ 🔊 NAmE /ˈɡrɑːvlɪŋ/ 🔊 [intransitive] ~ (to sb) (for sth) (disapproving) to behave in a very humble way towards sb who is more important than you or who can give you sth you want 卑躬屈膝；俯首贴耳；奴颜婢膝 SYN crawl [intransitive] + adv./prep. to move along the ground on your hands and knees, especially because you are looking for sth 爬行，匍匐（尤指找东西）▸ grov·el·ling BrE /ˈɡrɒvlɪŋ/ 🔊NAmE /ˈɡrɑːvlɪŋ/ 🔊 (especially US grov·el·ing) adjective [only before noun] ◆a grovelling letter of apology一封低声下气的道歉信