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."
kneel down
A2 neutral intransitive
To lower your body so that one or both knees are resting on the ground.
In plain English
To put your knees on the floor.
What does "kneel down" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
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."
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To move downward into a kneeling position.
Actually means
To put your knees on the floor.
Usage tip
'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.
Words that pair with "kneel down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
floor ground pray garden beside next to in front of
How to conjugate "kneel down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
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
Hear "kneel down" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "kneel down" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "kneel down"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
drop to your knees genuflect get on your knees go down on one knee
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