verb

kowtow

KOW-tow

Kowtow (verb) means to kneel and bow so low that the forehead touches the ground, as a sign of deep respect or submission. Example: “Officials once had to kowtow before the emperor.”

verb

To kneel and bow so low that the forehead touches the ground, as a sign of deep respect or submission.

"Officials once had to kowtow before the emperor."

To act in an excessively submissive or obedient way toward someone.

"He refused to kowtow to his boss's unreasonable demands."

"The company was accused of kowtowing to its biggest investor."

noun

The act of kowtowing.

"The ambassador performed the traditional kowtow."

How to use kowtow

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishOriginally a deep ceremonial bow; today mostly used for grovelling or being overly submissive to someone in power.

Common mistake

In modern English it's almost always used figuratively ("kowtow to demands"), rarely about the literal bow.

Common pairings

kowtow to someone refuse to kowtow

Word forms

kowtowed past tense, kowtows plural, kowtows singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “kowtow” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Officials once had to _____ before the emperor.

Etymology

From Cantonese 叩頭 (kau tau), literally "knock head" — referring to the forehead striking the ground.

Origin: Cantonese

Synonyms

View more →

scrape fawn toady kotow truckle suck up bootlick genuflect

Related words

nick suck brush deer scratch tan curry Jenkins

Frequently asked questions

What does “kowtow” mean?

The word “kowtow” means to kneel and bow so low that the forehead touches the ground, as a sign of deep respect or submission. In plain terms, originally a deep ceremonial bow; today mostly used for grovelling or being overly submissive to someone in power.

How do you pronounce “kowtow”?

“Kowtow” is pronounced KOW-tow (/ˈkaʊˌtaʊ/ in IPA).

How do you use “kowtow” in a sentence?

Here is “kowtow” used in a sentence: “Officials once had to kowtow before the emperor.”

What part of speech is “kowtow”?

Depending on how it is used, “kowtow” can be a verb and a noun.

Where does the word “kowtow” come from?

The word “kowtow” comes from Cantonese. From Cantonese 叩頭 (kau tau), literally "knock head" — referring to the forehead striking the ground.

How many meanings does “kowtow” have?

“Kowtow” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to kneel and bow so low that the forehead touches the ground, as a sign of deep respect or submission.

Featured in

Vocabulary lists that include kowtow:

Words with Chinese origins Words that end with W

People also searched

nick suck brush deer scratch tan curry Jenkins