ENGLISH
REFERENCE

kneeling

v.
B1 Intermediate US //ˈniɫɪŋ// UK //nˈiːlɪŋ// kneel·ing

v. to rest on one or both of your knees. You often do this to pray, show respect, or get closer to the ground.

v. supporting the body on one or both knees. Present participle of 'kneel'; functions as the continuous aspect or as a gerund describing the physical posture.


SIMPLE

He is kneeling on the floor to fix the chair.

CONTEXTUAL

The gardener spent the entire afternoon kneeling in the dirt while planting the new flower beds.

COMPLEX

The photograph captures a moment of quiet reflection, with the subject kneeling before the memorial in a posture that conveys both exhaustion and deep reverence.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

From kneel + -ing.

Etymology 2

From Middle English knelinge, kneweling, kneolunge, equivalent to kneel + -ing.

Usage

The present participle of 'kneel'. It can describe an ongoing action or the state of being in that position.

Pitfall

He was kneeing on the ground.He was kneeling on the ground.Learners sometimes confuse 'kneeling' with 'kneeing', which means to hit someone with the knee.

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