Portuguese

Verb

ajoelhar ‎(first-person singular present indicative ajoelho, past participle ajoelhado)

1. (takes a reflexive pronoun or intransitive (rare)) to kneel (to stoop down and rest on one’s knees)

   Os súditos se ajoelharam diante do rei.‎

   The subjects kneeled before the king.

2. (figuratively, takes a reflexive pronoun, intransitive, or transitive with a or diante de) to kneel to (to accept defeat; to accept someone’s superiority)

   Conseguimos fazer nosso inimigo se ajoelhar.‎

   We were able to make our enemy kneel.

   Ela ajoelhou-se ao professor.‎

   She kneeled before her teacher.

3. (transitive) to make someone kneel

   Ajoelhei os prisioneiros com um cassetete.‎

   I made the prisoners kneel with a truncheon.

4. (figuratively, transitive, poetic) to subjugate (to forcibly impose obedience or servitude)

   Roma ajoelhou seus vizinhos.‎

   Rome subjugated its neighbours.

Conjugation

Synonyms

• (to kneel): genuflectir
• (to subjugate): subjugar