kneel

verb

ˈnēl 

knelt ˈnelt  or kneeled; kneeling

intransitive verb

: to position the body so that one or both knees rest on the floor

The prisoners were ordered to kneel.

: to fall or rest on the knees

She kneeled on the floor next to the child.

Examples of kneel in a Sentence

She was kneeling on the floor beside her child.

He was kneeling in front of the altar and praying.

Recent Examples on the Web

Medics rushed both men from the scene to New York-Presbyterian Hospital Queens, but they couldn’t be saved. Classmates and teachers from Bayside High School embraced and knelt to pray before the casket, which was topped with a portrait of Neo and covered with a massive bouquet of white carnations. —Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2025

The car service driver who took her to the cemetery noticed her mom's gravestone was covered by grass and, kneeling in his suit, cleaned it for her. —Brittney Melton, NPR, 15 Apr. 2025

Boone was seen kneeling on one leg in front of the Queen’s guitarist, as May had his music moment. —Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 12 Apr. 2025

When night fell, the husband and wife knelt on their clay floor. —Erika Page, Christian Science Monitor, 8 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English knelen, from Old English cnēowlian; akin to Old English cnēow knee

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for kneel

• beal
• chiel
• ciel
• creel
• deal
• diel
• eel
• feel
• feil
• heal
• heel
• keel

Kids Definition

kneel

verb

ˈnē(ə)l 

knelt ˈnelt  or kneeled

ˈnē(ə)ld

; kneeling

: to bend the knee : support oneself on the knees

kneeler noun