genuflect
Other forms: genuflecting; genuflected; genuflects
If you are genuflecting, you are on your knees — either physically or in spirit. Politicians are experts at genuflecting to whatever idea or person is most popular at the time.
In the old days, when you came in front of your social superiors, you were expected to genuflect: that is, bend your knee and bow submissively. You did it before kings and nobles, and everyone did it in church before God. In our more egalitarian age, genuflecting has taken on a rather insincere and servile meaning. Best not to genuflect, but simply to admire.
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bend the knees and bow in a servile manner
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bend the knees and bow in church or before a religious superior or image
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type of:
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bow
bend the head or the upper part of the body in a gesture of respect or greeting
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bow
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Vocabulary lists containing genuflect
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