genuflect
English
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genuflect
- /ˈd͡ʒɛn.jʊ.flɛkt/ UK, US
Rhymes with -ɛkt
Where it comes from
PIE word
*ǵónu
From around 1620–1630 from Medieval Latin genūflectō (“to bend the knee”) equivalent to the Latin genū (“knee”) + flectō (“to bend”).
verb genuflects · genuflecting · genuflected
- To bend the knee, as in servitude.
- To briefly enter a position that touches one knee to the ground in a manner that is typically associated with formal homage or religious worship. At high Mass the deacon and subdeacon stand on either side, genuflect too, and answer.
- To behave in a servile manner; to grovel. Certainly, the megalomaniacs who aim to populate municipal fixtures with registered-trademark logos will expect cities to genuflect at every turn.
Translations
Every language
verb to bend the knee, as in servitude, homage, or worship
| Español | doblar la rodilla, arrodillarse, genuflexionar, prostrarse, postrarse, ponerse genuflexo |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 跪く hizamazuku |
| 中文 | 跪 guì, 下跪 xiàguì |
| Português | genuflectir |
| Français | faire une génuflexion, génuflexer, génuflexionner |
| Deutsch | niederknien |
| Italiano | genuflettere |
| Ελληνικά | προσκυνώ proskynó |
| Русский | преклоня́ть коле́на/коле́ни preklonjátʹ koléna/koléni, преклони́ть коле́на/коле́ни preklonítʹ koléna/koléni |
| עברית | כָּרַע בֶּרֶךְ kará' bérech |
verb to behave in a servile manner
| Français | faire une génuflexion |
|---|---|
| Italiano | essere genuflesso, genuflettersi |
| Русский | пресмыка́ться presmykátʹsja, соверша́ть коленопреклоне́ние soveršátʹ kolenopreklonénije, соверши́ть коленопреклоне́ние soveršítʹ kolenopreklonénije |
Talk about this word "genuflect." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/genuflect. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. genuflect. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/genuflect "genuflect." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/genuflect.Cite this
@misc{genuflect_2026,
title = {genuflect},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/genuflect},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
