Meanings
present singular third person brings to one's knees · participle present bringing to one's knees · participle past brought to one's knees · past brought to one's knees
Origin
From the act of kneeling in submission before a person in power.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic رَكَّعَ, رَضَّخَ
- رَكَّعَ (rakkaʕa)defeat and make submit to orders
- رَضَّخَ (raḍḍaḵa)defeat and make submit to orders
Finnish alistaa, saada polvilleen
- alistaadefeat and make submit to orders
- saada polvilleendefeat and make submit to orders
- panna polvilleendefeat and make submit to orders
- laittaa polvilleendefeat and make submit to orders
French mettre à genoux
- mettre à genouxdefeat and make submit to orders
German jemanden in die Knie zwingen
- jemanden in die Knie zwingendefeat and make submit to orders
Italian mettere in ginocchio
- mettere in ginocchiodefeat and make submit to orders
Polish rzucać na kolana, rzucić na kolana
- rzucać na kolanadefeat and make submit to orders
- rzucić na kolanadefeat and make submit to orders
Spanish arrodillar a alguien sg or
- arrodillar a alguien sg ordefeat and make submit to orders
Cite this entry
bring someone to their knees. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bring%20someone%20to%20their%20knees
“bring someone to their knees.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bring%20someone%20to%20their%20knees. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bring someone to their knees,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bring%20someone%20to%20their%20knees.
Source: bring someone to their knees on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.