Kowtow

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈkaʊˌtaʊ/

Definitions

1. To demonstrate servility or respect by bowing down or submitting to someone in authority, often without any resistance or challenge
2. To exhibit a profound level of deference or submission, commonly by physically lowering oneself or yielding to another's wishes
3. To express deep respect or submission by performing a gesture of kneeling or bowing, typically in response to authority or hierarchy

Etymology: The English verb "kowtow" comes from Chinese, and its literal meaning is "knock head." In Cantonese and Mandarin, "叩頭" (kau3 tau4 in Cantonese, kòutóu in Mandarin) referred to the ceremonial act of kneeling and touching the forehead to the ground as a sign of respect, most famously in imperial audiences. The English word keeps that physical gesture at its core: to kowtow is to lower oneself in deference, though in English it has come to describe submission in a broader sense, such as yielding to another's wishes, not only bowing. The word is a loanword, so its meaning in English is shaped by how the gesture struck Western observers. The bodily act of prostration became, in English, a figure for servility, and the verb is usually used with a note of disapproval, implying that someone is groveling rather than merely showing courtesy.

Synonyms: fawn, flatter, grovel, obsequiate, sycophant

Antonyms: defy, resist, disobey, oppose, stand up