Entry 1 sense Webster, 1913 groveling · grov·el·ing · IPA /ɡrˈɔvəlɪŋ/ 01 a. Lying prone; low; debased; submissive in a self-abasing manner. 1. Lying prone; low; debased; submissive in a self-abasing manner. Syn. cringing, wormlike, wormy.