kowtow[verb]Synonyms: fawn, apple-polish, bootlick, brownnose, cower, cringe, grovel, honey (up), toady, truckle
[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲
kow‧tow /ˌkaʊˈtaʊ/
verb [intransitive] informal[
Date: 1800-1900;
Language: Chinese;
Origin: ke tou 'to hit your head'; because when you bow very low you hit your head on the floor]
to be too eager to obey or be polite to someone in authority
kowtow to
We will not kowtow to the government. [TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲