kowtowing in English

verb

1

act in an excessively subservient manner.

she didn't have to kowtow to a boss

synonyms: grovel to, be obsequious to, be servile to, be sycophantic to, fawn over/on, cringe to, bow and scrape to, toady to, truckle to, abase oneself before, humble oneself to, curry favor with, dance attendance on, ingratiate oneself with, suck up to, kiss up to, brown-nose, lick someone's boots

2

kneel and touch the ground with the forehead in worship or submission as part of Chinese custom.

In ‘Keeper of the Keys,’ Chan has to deal with a much older Chinese servant who kowtows to his white master in embarrassing fashion.

synonyms: prostrate oneself before, bow (down) to/ before, genuflect to/before, do/make obeisance to/before, fall on one's knees before, kneel before

verb

prostrate oneself before, bow (down) to/ before, genuflect to/before, do/make obeisance to/before, fall on one's knees before, kneel before
grovel to, be obsequious to, be servile to, be sycophantic to, fawn over/on, cringe to, bow and scrape to, toady to, truckle to, abase oneself before, humble oneself to, curry favor with, dance attendance on, ingratiate oneself with, suck up to, kiss up to, brown-nose, lick someone's boots
scrape, genuflect
truckle, kotow, toady, bootlick, suck up, fawn

Use "kowtowing" in a sentence

1. 4 And several senators are keener on pushing their own agendas than kowtowing to Mr Lott.

2. Synonyms for Bowing include kneeling, abasement, adoration, kowtowing, worship, prostration, falling down, submission, bow and kowtow

3. Synonyms for Curtsying include bobbing, genuflecting, bowing, greeting, kneeling, stooping, bending the knee, dropping a curtsy, salaaming and kowtowing