Grovelling
/ˈɡrɒvəlɪŋ/noun
Behaving in a servile, submissive, or cringing way.
Did you know?The word comes from *grovel*, which likely developed from the idea of lying face-down or crawling in the dirt, a posture historically linked to abasement and supplication.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
grāfan
“to dig, delve, burrow”
Middle English
ME
grovelen
“to lie or creep face-down on the ground”
16th Century
English
grovel
“to crawl or lie prone in a humble, abject way”
19th Century
English
grovelling
“showing abject humility or servility”
Modern English
English
grovelling
“cringing, submissive, or humiliatingly deferential”