adj
groveling
Groveling (adj) means Excessively submissive or fawning, especially to gain favor. Example: “His groveling apology did little to win back her trust.”
adj
1
Excessively submissive or fawning, especially to gain favor.
"His groveling apology did little to win back her trust."
How to use groveling
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDescribes behavior that is overly humble or servile in a cringeworthy way.
UK vs US
Spelled "grovelling" in British English, with a doubled "l"; "groveling" is the American spelling.
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like groveling.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- grovelings
- Comparative
- more groveling
- Superlative
- most groveling
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
His _____ apology did little to win back her trust.
Synonyms
View more →
wormy
grovelling
cringing
wormlike
Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for groveling
feeling
peeling
reeling
fueling
dueling
kneeling
modeling
wheeling
yodeling
labeling
traveling
unfeeling
See all rhymes for groveling →
Frequently asked questions
What does “groveling” mean?
The word “groveling” means excessively submissive or fawning, especially to gain favor. In plain terms, describes behavior that is overly humble or servile in a cringeworthy way.
How do you use “groveling” in a sentence?
Here is “groveling” used in a sentence: “His groveling apology did little to win back her trust.”
What part of speech is “groveling”?
“Groveling” is an adjective.
What is the meaning of groveling?
"groveling" (adj) means excessively submissive or fawning, especially to gain favor.
