WordLens

prostration

1 of 1noun
/prɑˈstreɪʃən/
Forms:prostrations
1

the physical posture of lying flat with the face to the ground, as in submission to a religious or political authority

  • In some forms of worship, the devotees engage in periodic prostration as an act of humility and reverence.
  • The king's subjects would perform three full prostrations when greeting him, laying face down on the floor with their foreheads touching the ground.
  • Prostration is a required posture for Muslims performing the five daily prayers.
2

abject submission; the emotional equivalent of prostrating your body

3

an abrupt failure of function or complete physical exhaustion

Synonyms: