kowtow

verb
UK: /ˌkaʊˈtaʊ/
US: /ˌkaʊˈtaʊ/

  1. To show too much respect to someone in authority, often to gain an advantage.

    1. He had to kowtow to his boss to get the promotion.
    2. The employees felt pressured to kowtow to management's demands to avoid conflict.

Synonyms

grovel fawn toady bow and scrape
kowtow noun

  1. The act of showing servile deference.

    1. His kowtow to the CEO was embarrassing to watch.
    2. The company's kowtow to the influential investor was seen as unethical by many.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Synonyms for "kowtow": grovel, fawn, toady, bow and scrape.

Example usage of "kowtow": "He had to kowtow to his boss to get the promotion.". More examples on the page.