grovel

verb

Infinitive: grovel
3rd person: grovels
Present (Amer∙/Brit∙): groveling, grovelling
Gerund (Amer∙/Brit∙): groveling, grovelling
Past (Amer∙/Brit∙): groveled, grovelled
Perfect (Amer∙/Brit∙): groveled, grovelled

To crawl or lie face down in subservience, deepest regret, servility, or mortal fear. Figuratively: to apologise earnestly or profusely.

Examples:

Doctor Barton pulled a paper snip from his pocket and dialled the written-down number. Trying to outsound the audible crepitations in the handset, he grovelled in a half-loudened voice for redisturbing someone he apparently spoke with before. (Context: Dr∙ Barton calls someone and apologises for disturbing them again. Source: J∙ Okram - The Mystery of the Rammed Key.)

Translations:

Slovak / Slovenčina (SK): plaziť sa pred niekým; krčiť sa v prachu; modlikať o odpustenie; vrúcne sa ospravedlňovať

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Julion Okram's Word Explainer is a concise dictionary of uncommon, less standard and expert words appearing in mystery thrillers and science fiction adventures. It contains little-known or fictional geographical names, scientific terms, slang, professional jargons, archaisms, dialects, neologisms, composite expressions, etc⋅. Find word definitions, alternative meanings, occasional notes about etymology and stems, and story-related contextual remarks. The entire vocabulary is searchable online. Readers wishing to go offline or have a printed reference at hand can download this full glossary as a wordbook in PDF format.