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- Dictionarykowtow/ˌkaʊˈtaʊ/
verb
- 1. act in an excessively subservient manner: "she didn't have to kowtow to a boss" Similar
- 2. kneel and touch the ground with the forehead in worship or submission as part of Chinese custom. historical Similar
noun
- 1. an act of kowtowing as part of Chinese custom. historical
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to show too much respect to someone in authority, always doing what you are told and changing what you do in order to please them: He has never kowtowed to the mainstream, but has remained true to his convictions. They were accused of kowtowing to a corrupt government. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Physical gestures of respect.
noun. : an act of kowtowing. Did you know? Kowtow originated as a noun referring to the act of kneeling and touching one's head to the ground as a salute or act of worship to a revered authority.
to show too much respect to someone in authority, always doing what you are told and changing what you do in order to please them: He has never kowtowed to the mainstream, but has remained true to his convictions. They were accused of kowtowing to a corrupt government. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Physical gestures of respect.
Synonyms for KOWTOW: fuss, toady, drool, truckle, bootlick, submit, fawn, curry favor; Antonyms of KOWTOW: despise, scorn, disdain, scoff, jibe, jeer, defy, challenge.
verb (used without object) to act in an obsequious manner; show servile deference. to touch the forehead to the ground while kneeling, as an act of worship, reverence, apology, etc., especially in former Chinese custom.
verb. If you say that someone kowtows to someone else, you are criticizing them because they are too eager to obey or be polite to someone in authority. [informal, disapproval] See how stupidly they kow-tow to persons higher in the hierarchy. [VERB + to] [ Also VERB] More Synonyms of kowtow. Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary.
Kowtow, which describes the act of kneeling and touching one’s head to the ground to show respect, used to be a custom in Chinese culture. Now it refers to acting like you're doing that, whether you actually bow or not.
Definition of kowtow verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
1. to act in an obsequious manner; show servile deference. 2. to touch the forehead to the ground while kneeling, as an act of worship, respect, etc., esp. in former Chinese custom. n. 3. the act of kowtowing. [1795–1805; < Chinese kòutóu literally, knock (one's) head] kow′tow′er, n.
Kowtow definition: To kneel and touch the forehead to the ground in expression of deep respect, worship, or submission, as formerly done in China.
