bowing

noun
UK: /ˈbaʊɪŋ/
US: /ˈbaʊɪŋ/

  1. The act of bending your head or body forward, especially as a sign of respect or greeting.

    1. The actor acknowledged the applause with a slight bowing. [ ] [ ]
    2. The diplomat's bowing was a calculated gesture of goodwill towards the delegation. [ ] [ ]
bowing verb

  1. Present participle of bow. Bending the head or upper body as a sign of respect, greeting, or submission.

    1. He was bowing to the queen. [ ] [ ]
    2. Despite his disagreement, he found himself bowing to the inevitable decision. [ ] [ ]

  2. To bend under pressure or weight; deforming, curving.

    1. The shelf is bowing under the weight of the books. [ ] [ ]
    2. The old bridge was bowing dangerously, threatening collapse under the strain. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "bowing" is /ˈbaʊɪŋ/ in British English and /ˈbaʊɪŋ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Example usage of "bowing": "The actor acknowledged the applause with a slight bowing.". More examples on the page.