grovel
grov|el /gr'ɒvəl/ (grovels grovelling grovelled)
in AM, use groveling, groveled
1 [VERB] V to/before n, V, V-ing
If you say that someone grovels, you think they are behaving too respectfully towards another person, for example because they are frightened or because they want something.
I don't grovel to anybody...
Speakers have been shouted down, classes disrupted, teachers made to grovel.
...a letter of grovelling apology.
2 [VERB] V prep/adv, also V
If you grovel, you crawl on the ground, for example in order to find something.
We grovelled around the club on our knees.
in AM, use groveling, groveled
1 [VERB] V to/before n, V, V-ing
If you say that someone grovels, you think they are behaving too respectfully towards another person, for example because they are frightened or because they want something.
I don't grovel to anybody...
Speakers have been shouted down, classes disrupted, teachers made to grovel.
...a letter of grovelling apology.
2 [VERB] V prep/adv, also V
If you grovel, you crawl on the ground, for example in order to find something.
We grovelled around the club on our knees.