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kneel down

A2 neutral intransitive
In simple words

To put your knees on the floor.

Literal meaning: To move downward into a kneeling position.

Meanings

1 A2 neutral

To lower the body so that one or both knees rest on the ground.

"She kneeled down to tie her son's shoelaces."

2 A2 neutral

To get onto one's knees as an act of prayer or religious devotion.

"The congregation kneeled down at the most solemn point of the service."

Usage notes

'Down' is a direction particle that reinforces the downward movement; in some contexts it is optional ('kneel' alone is sufficient), but 'kneel down' is more emphatic and common in everyday speech and instructions.

Commonly used with

floor ground pray garden beside next to in front of

Forms

Base
kneel down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
kneels down
he/she/it
Past simple
kneeled down
yesterday
Past participle
kneeled down
have + pp
-ing form
kneeling down
continuous

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Synonyms

get on your knees drop to your knees genuflect go down on one knee

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