# bow and scrape

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/bow-and-scrape
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To behave in a servile, obsequious, or excessively polite manner.

## Examples

- He does not like to bow and scrape to his boss.
- The ambitious intern felt he had to bow and scrape to the senior partners to get a promotion.
- The courtier was known to bow and scrape before the king, hoping that such displays of humility would secure him a favorable position in the royal household.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.