How to Say "to grovel" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to grovel” is “humillar” — C1 level.
English → SpanishC1
verbC1formal
begging or acting in a low way
Examples
Nunca me humillaré ante un tirano.
I will never bow down before a tyrant.
Tuvo que humillarse y pedir ayuda a su enemigo.
He had to humble himself and ask his enemy for help.
Los fieles se humillaron ante el altar.
The faithful bowed down before the altar.
The Reflexive Pronoun
To show someone is humbling themselves, you must include words like 'me', 'te', or 'se' before the verb (or attached to the end).
Dropping the 'se'
Mistake: “Él humilló para pedir perdón.”
Correction: Él SE humilló para pedir perdón. (Without 'se', the sentence sounds like he humiliated someone else but doesn't say who).
Related Translations
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.