Dictionary

prostrate en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈpɹɒstɹeɪt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈpɹɑstɹeɪt/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English prostrat(e) (“prostrate”, also used as the past participle of prostraten), borrowed from Latin prōstrātus, perfect passive participle of prōsternō (“to prostrate”). Participial usage up until Early Modern English.

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) Lying flat, face-down.
   • Prostrate fall / Before him reverent, and there confess / Humbly our faults. 1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
   • Finally almost the whole world was combined against the evil-doers, who are now prostrate before us. 1945, Sir Winston Churchill, VE Day speech from House of Commons
2. (figuratively, not-comparable) Emotionally devastated.
3. (not-comparable) Physically incapacitated from environmental exposure or debilitating disease.
   • He was prostrate from the extreme heat.
4. (not-comparable) Trailing on the ground; procumbent.
5. (not-comparable, obsolete) Prostrated.

Antonyms

supine

Deriveds

prostrater · deprostrate · prostrate amaranth · prostrately · prostrate pigweed

Synonyms

prone

Translations (20)

ru распростёртый (lying flat, facedown) · cy ar ei hyd (lying flat, facedown) · cy ar ei orwedd (lying flat, facedown) · cs ležící na břiše (lying flat, facedown) · es postrado (lying flat, facedown) · mi tāpapa (lying flat, facedown) · bg проснат (lying flat, facedown) · fi maassa (emotionally devastated) · fi mahallaan (lying flat, facedown) · es prostrado (disused) (lying flat, facedown) · fi lyöty (emotionally devastated) · el πρηνής (lying flat, facedown) · mi taitakoto (lying flat, facedown) · hu hason fekvő (lying flat, facedown) · no prostrert (lying flat, facedown) · de niedergestreckt (lying flat, facedown) · es acostado boca abajo (lying flat, facedown) · fi toimintakyvytön (physically incapacitated from environmental exposure or debilitating disease) · bg легнал (lying flat, facedown) · ru лежа́щий ничко́м (lying flat, facedown)

wikipedia: Early Modern English

prostrate en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈpɹɒstɹeɪt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈpɹɑstɹeɪt/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English prostraten (“(reflexive) to prostrate; (with doun) to fall down in a state of humility or submission”), from prostrat(e) (“prostrate, prostrated”, also used as the past participle of prostraten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), from Latin prōstrātus, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more.

Meanings

1. (often, reflexive) To lie flat or face-down.
2. (also, figuratively) To throw oneself down in submission.
   • But I take the view that the statue is a cheap and cynical stunt by ministers with scant knowledge of history, whose only interest lies in greasing up to modern Indian politicians. With little or no dignity, they shamelessly prostrate themselves in the most craven way. 2014 July 10, Stephen Glover, “Sorry, but Gandhi statue in Westminster is a cheap stunt by ministers with scant knowledge of history greasing up to India”, in Daily Mail:
   • Those who had the privilege of approaching him, had to prostrate themselves before him in profound humility[…] 1922, Maneckji Nusserwanji Dhalla, Zoroastrian Civilization, page 228:
3. To cause to lie down, to flatten.
   • How many of these mighty pines were to be prostrated under that approaching tempest! 1835, William Gilmore Simms, The Partisan, Harper, Chapter XIV, page 175:
4. (figuratively) To overcome or overpower.
   • Why this very minute she's prostrated with grief. 1936 June 30, Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC:

Forms

Deriveds

unprostrated

Relateds

kowtow · prostration

Synonyms

grovel

Translations (63)

de niederwerfen (to throw oneself down in submission) · pt prostrar (to cause to lie down) · sk zvaliť (to cause to lie down) · id bersujud (to lie flat or face-down) · fi maata kasvoillaan (facedown) (to lie flat or face-down) · pt prostrar (to lie flat or face-down) · sga fo·álgi (to cause to lie down) · ru пасть ниц (to throw oneself down in submission) · el μπρουμυτίζω (to lie flat or face-down) · yo dọ̀bálẹ̀ (to lie flat or face-down) · el μπρουμυτίζω (to throw oneself down in submission) · ru лежа́ть ничко́м (to lie flat or face-down) · bg повалям (to cause to lie down) · cs ležet na břiše (to lie flat or face-down) · pt prostrar-se (to throw oneself down in submission) · cmn 伏地 (to throw oneself down in submission) · ms bersujud (to throw oneself down in submission) · ms telangkup (to lie flat or face-down) · el προσπέφτω (to throw oneself down in submission) · el πέφτω μπρούμυτα (to throw oneself down in submission) · fi maata pitkällään (to lie flat or face-down) · cmn 趴 (to lie flat or face-down) · cmn 匍匐 (to throw oneself down in submission) · el υποκλίνομαι (to cause to lie down) · pl bić pokłony (to lie flat or face-down) · bg унижавам се (to throw oneself down in submission) · el προσκυνώ (to cause to lie down) · mi tāpapa (to lie flat or face-down) · cmn 平臥 /平卧 (to lie flat or face-down) · es prostrarse (disused) (to lie flat or face-down) · mi tukupapa (to lie flat or face-down) · eo adorkliniĝi (to throw oneself down in submission) · nl ter aarde werpen (to throw oneself down in submission) · no prostrere (to lie flat or face-down) · ru поверга́ть ниц (to cause to lie down) · vi nằm sấp (to lie flat or face-down) · ar سَجَدَ (to throw oneself down in submission) · fr prosterner (to lie flat or face-down) · ru пове́ргнуть ниц (to cause to lie down) · es postrar (to cause to lie down) · eo terenkuŝiĝi (to lie flat or face-down) · es prostrarse (disused) (to throw oneself down in submission) · es postrarse (to lie flat or face-down) · fi kumota (to cause to lie down) · es postrarse (to throw oneself down in submission) · el κείτομαι μπρούμυτα (to lie flat or face-down) · ru па́дать ниц (to throw oneself down in submission) · la prosternō (to cause to lie down) · sk zvaliť sa (to throw oneself down in submission) · mi taitakoto (to lie flat or face-down) · bg лежа по очи (to lie flat or face-down) · nl zich prosterneren (to lie flat or face-down) · nb legge seg flat (to throw oneself down in submission) · bg просвам (to cause to lie down) · vi nằm úp (to lie flat or face-down) · fi kaataa (to cause to lie down) · grc προσκυνέω (to throw oneself down in submission) · de erniedrigen (to throw oneself down in submission) · ar سَجَدَ (to lie flat or face-down) · es prostrar (disused) (to cause to lie down) · fi maata vatsallaan (to lie flat or face-down) · fi heittäytyä maahan (to throw oneself down in submission) · ja 平伏す (to lie flat or face-down)