kowtow

1 of 2

verb

kow·​tow ˈkau̇-ˌtau̇ 

(ˌ)kau̇-ˈtau̇

kowtowed; kowtowing; kowtows

intransitive verb

1

: to show obsequious deference : fawn

kowtows to the boss

2

: to kneel and touch the forehead to the ground in token of homage, worship, or deep respect

kowtow

2 of 2

noun

: an act of kowtowing

Did you know?

Kowtow originated as a noun referring to the act of kneeling and touching one's head to the ground as a salute or act of worship to a revered authority. In traditional China this ritual was performed by commoners making requests to the local magistrate, by the emperor to the shrine of Confucius, or by foreign representatives appearing before the emperor to establish trade relations. (In the late 18th century, some Western nations resisted performing the ritual, which acknowledged the Chinese emperor as the "son of heaven.") The word kowtow derives from Chinese koutou, formed by combining the verb kou ("to knock") with the noun tou ("head").

Synonyms

Verb

• apple-polish
• bootlick
• fawn
• fuss
• suck (up)
• toady
• truckle

Examples of kowtow in a Sentence

Verb

you can try kowtowing to the boss, but he'll see right through you

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

CEXs have already had to kowtow to former EU member the United Kingdom’s inane crypto laws, forcing exchanges to code new front-ends and to exclude certain products and services from their UK service. —Sean Lee, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025

The settlement sparked a backlash from both sides of the political aisle, with one half framing it as a dishonest entity being justly punished and the other accusing the news outlet of kowtowing to Trump. —Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024

Noun

Public rhetorical kowtows by the bank’s leadership appear to have kept HSBC in China’s good graces, although some observers have speculated that the bank might formally split into British and Hong Kong halves to avoid future legal and reputational conundrums. —Kurt Tong, Foreign Affairs, 14 July 2021

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Chinese (Beijing) kòutóu, from kòu to knock + tóu head

First Known Use

Verb

1826, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1804, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

kowtow

verb

kow·​tow

ˈkau̇-ˈtau̇,

ˈkau̇-ˌtau̇

: to show overly respectful attention

Etymology

Verb

from Chinese kòutóu, literally, "to bump the head (in bowing to the ground)"