Bow — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈbau̇/ (verb) /ˈbō/ (noun)

Meaning & Definition of Bow

Bow (verb)

  1. to cease from competition or resistance, submit, yield; also, to suffer defeat
  2. to bend the head, body, or knee in reverence, submission, or shame
  3. to incline the head or body in salutation or assent or to acknowledge applause
  4. to bend into a curve
  5. to play a stringed instrument with a bow
  6. to cause to bend into a curve

Bow (noun)

  1. a bending of the head or body in respect, submission, assent, or salutation; also, a show of respect or submission
  2. something bent into a simple curve or arc
  3. rainbow
  4. a weapon that is used to propel an arrow and that is made of a strip of flexible material (such as wood) with a cord connecting the two ends and holding the strip bent
  5. the forward part of a ship —often used in plural
  6. bowman

Bow (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to cease resistance (as to another's arguments, demands, or control)

    "finally bowed to the judge's insistence that she change her outfit"

    similar: blink, budge, capitulate, concede, give in, knuckle under, quit, relent, submit, succumb, surrender, yield, say uncle, throw in the towel
    related: acquiesce, defer
    opposite: resist
    near: contend, fight, hold off, battle, breast, combat, confront, counter, defy, face, meet, object, oppose, repel, thwart, withstand

  2. to give up and cease resistance (as to a liking, temptation, or habit)

    "bowed to the craving for fresh coffee"

    similar: cave (in), give in, submit, succumb, surrender, yield
    related: cater (to), gratify, indulge, wallow, acquiesce (to), concede (to), buckle (under), knuckle under, give over (to)
    opposite: hold off, resist
    near: battle, breast, combat, confront, counter, defy, face, fight, meet, object, oppose, repel, thwart, withstand, reject, bridle, check, constrain, curb, inhibit, restrain, stifle

  3. to turn away from a straight line or course

    "the river bows gently to the north before it reaches the sea"

    similar: arc, arch, bend, crook, curve, fall off, hook, round, sweep, swerve, trend, wheel
    related: circle, coil, curlicue, curl, loop, spiral, turn, twist, wind, deviate, veer
    opposite: straighten

  4. to cause to turn away from a straight line

    "you'll have to gently bow the strip of wood in order to fit it in"

    similar: arch, bend, crook, curve, hook, swerve
    related: arc, round, incurvate, incurve, inflect, reflect, deflect, divert, entwine, kink, swirl, turn, twine, twist, veer, warp, coil, curl, enroll, loop, spiral, dent, dimple, meander, wave, weave, wind, decline, incline, slope
    opposite: straighten, unbend, uncurl

Bow (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. something that curves or is curved

    "her full lips form a pair of perfect bows"

    similar: angle, arc, arch, bend, crook, curvature, curve, inflection, turn, wind
    related: kink, warp, circle, ring, ringlet, round, coil, curl, curlicue, buckle, convolution, flexure, fold, loop, spiral, swirl, twist, winding, incurvature, reflection, decline, inclination, incline, slope, corner, turnoff, dogleg, hairpin

Related Entry: Bow out (verb)

Bow out is a different word from Bow. The synonyms below are for bow out, not for bow.

  1. to undergo defeat

    "quite embarrassingly, the top-seeded player bowed out in the first round of competition"

    similar: fall, lose, take the count
    related: falter, tank, throw, forfeit, bomb, collapse, crack (up), fail, flop, flunk, fold, founder, miss, strike out, wash out
    opposite: conquer, prevail, triumph, win
    near: flourish, prosper, succeed, thrive

Related Entry: Bow (to) (verb)

Bow (to) is a different word from Bow. The synonyms below are for bow (to), not for bow.

  1. as in submit (to), succumb (to)

    similar: acquiesce (to), capitulate (to), give in (to), submit (to), succumb (to), surrender (to), yield (to), accede (to), assent (to), concede (to), confirm, consent (to), OK, ratify, sanction, warrant, abide, bear, brook, countenance, endure, shoulder, stand, stick out, stomach, support, sustain, swallow, sweat out, tolerate, accept, have, take, adopt, embrace, welcome
    opposite: decline, deny, disallow, disapprove, negative, refuse, reject, spurn, turn down, veto, dissent (to), object (to), oppose, protest, hold off, resist, withstand, combat, contest, fight

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Bow

The most common words with a similar meaning to Bow:

blink, budge, capitulate, concede, give in, knuckle under, quit, relent, submit, succumb, surrender, yield, cave (in), say uncle, throw in the towel, arc, arch, bend, crook, curve, fall off, hook, round, sweep, swerve, trend, wheel, angle, curvature, inflection, turn, wind

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Bow

Words with the opposite meaning of Bow:

resist, hold off, straighten, unbend, uncurl

Related Words for Bow

acquiesce, defer, cater (to), gratify, indulge, wallow, acquiesce (to), concede (to), buckle (under), give over (to), circle, coil, curlicue, curl, loop, spiral, twist, deviate, veer, incurvate, incurve, inflect, reflect, deflect, divert, entwine, kink, swirl, twine, warp

Near Antonyms of Bow

contend, fight, battle, breast, combat, confront, counter, defy, face, meet, object, oppose, repel, thwart, withstand, reject, bridle, check, constrain, curb, inhibit, restrain, stifle

Word Forms of Bow

Inflections: bowed, bowing, bows

Origin & Etymology of Bow

Middle English, from Old English būgan; akin to Old High German biogan to bend, Sanskrit bhujati he bends

First known use: before 12th centuryi

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Bow

Words & Phrases Containing Bow

Bow bells, bow out, bow saw, bow shock

Frequently Asked Questions about Bow

What does "Bow" mean?

"Bow" means to cease from competition or resistance, submit, yield; also, to suffer defeat. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to cease from competition or resistance, submit, yield; also, to suffer defeat. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Bow"?

Other words for "Bow" include blink, budge, capitulate, concede, give in, knuckle under, quit and relent. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Bow" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Bow"?

There are 85 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Bow". Common alternatives include blink, budge, capitulate, concede, give in, knuckle under, quit, relent, submit and succumb.

What is the opposite of "Bow"?

Antonyms of "Bow" include resist, hold off, straighten, unbend and uncurl. Near antonyms include contend, fight, battle and breast.

How do you use "Bow" in a sentence?

Examples of "Bow" in a sentence: "finally bowed to the judge's insistence that she change her outfit"; "bowed to the craving for fresh coffee"; "the river bows gently to the north before it reaches the sea".

Is "Bow" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Bow" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Bow" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Bow" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Bow"?

"Bow" is pronounced /ˈbau̇/ as a verb and /ˈbō/ as a noun.