grovelers
Those who crawl
Grovelers are people who grovel—who humble themselves excessively, often crawling or prostrating before someone in power.
The word suggests obsequious flattery or desperate pleading: The king surrounded himself with grovelers and yes-men.
It carries contempt for those who sacrifice dignity to curry favor.
Excessive insincere flattery
- kowtowingSubmissive display of respect
- bowingBending forward in deference
- scrapingRubbing away material
- cringingShrinking in discomfort
cowering · prostrating · kneeling · begging · pleading · wheedling · supplicating · genuflecting
Servile praise-giver
- toadyObsequious flatterer seeking favor
- bootlickerServile flatterer of superiors
- flattererOne dispensing insincere praise
- brownnoserServile flatterer seeking favor
yes-man · apple-polisher · fawner · crawler · lickspittle · lackey · flunky · minion
Deliberately diminishing oneself
- degradationDecline in condition
- abjectionState of extreme degradation
- mortificationIntense shame or embarrassment
- shamePainful awareness of failure
disgrace · humility · contrition · penitence · meekness · debasement · indignity · lowliness
Lacking ability to cope
- subjectionState of being controlled
- subservienceExcessive willingness to obey
- subordinationLower position in hierarchy
- weaknessDeficiency in force
dependency · vulnerability · passivity · resignation · defeatism · surrender · impotence · subjugation
fawning
Excessive insincere flattery
- kowtowingSubmissive display of respect
- bowingBending forward in deference
- scrapingRubbing away material
cringing · cowering · prostrating · kneeling · begging · pleading · wheedling · supplicating · genuflecting · bootlicking
sycophant
Servile praise-giver
- toadyObsequious flatterer seeking favor
- bootlickerServile flatterer of superiors
- flattererOne dispensing insincere praise
brownnoser · yes-man · apple-polisher · fawner · crawler · lickspittle · lackey · flunky · minion · hanger-on
self-abasement
Deliberately diminishing oneself
- degradationDecline in condition
- abjectionState of extreme degradation
- mortificationIntense shame or embarrassment
shame · disgrace · humility · contrition · penitence · meekness · debasement · indignity · lowliness · wretchedness
helplessness
Lacking ability to cope
- subjectionState of being controlled
- subservienceExcessive willingness to obey
- subordinationLower position in hierarchy
weakness · dependency · vulnerability · passivity · resignation · defeatism · surrender · impotence · subjugation · victimhood
- sycophantssycophant, sycophants, toady, toadies, bootlicker
grovelersdominators
Those who rule completely
masters · overlords · commanders · rulers · tyrants
grovelersresisters
Those who actively oppose
defiers · rebels · dissidents · challengers · nonconformists