Meanings
- datedIn a kneeling position.
On bended knee full long he prayed.
1898, Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Franklin's Maid”, in Songs of Action - broadlySupplicatingly, imploringly, suppliantly.
Mr. Skinner said airports would not have to rely as much on their airline tenants to approve expansion. "They will be able to build new gates without going to an airline on bended knee," he said.
1990 November 5, John H. Cushman Jr., “Airports planning for big windfall”, in New York Times, retrieved 07 Nov 20171 more example
"Howard Dean is the only candidate to have smashed fundraising records, not by going on bended knee to the wealthy but by empowering ordinary Americans to take part in their democracy," Mr Gross said.
2004 February 19, Julian Borger, “Party's over, but the Deaniacs are here to stay”, in Guardian, UK, retrieved 07 Nov 2017
Cite this entry
on bended knee. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20bended%20knee
“on bended knee.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20bended%20knee. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “on bended knee,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20bended%20knee.
Source: on bended knee on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.