Word a Day
kowtow
What does kowtow mean?
kowtow (verb): try to gain favor by cringing or flattering.
Definition: Princeton WordNet 3.1.
How do you use kowtow in a sentence?
- He is always kowtowing to his boss. (Princeton WordNet 3.1)
How do you pronounce kowtow?
/ˈkaʊˌtaʊ/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does kowtow come from?
From either Cantonese 叩頭 / 叩头 (kau3 tau4) or Mandarin 叩頭 / 叩头 (kòutóu).
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What are synonyms of kowtow?
From Princeton WordNet 3.1.
Test yourself: do you know “kowtow”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “kowtow” mean?
try to gain favor by cringing or flattering
Right! That's what “kowtow” means.
make more cheerful through the use of color
Not quite: that's what brighten means.
destroy completely, as if down to the roots
Not quite: that's what eradicate means.
to fall end over end; to roll over and over
Not quite: that's what tumble means.
Which word is closest in meaning to “kowtow”?
flap
Not quite: flap means something else.
eddy
Not quite: eddy means something else.
brag
Not quite: brag means something else.
fawn
Right!
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