prostrate 1 of 2

adjective

ˈprä-ˌstrāt How to pronounce prostrate (audio)
Definition of prostratenext
1
as in exhausted
depleted in strength, energy, or freshness prostrate marathoners typically spend the day after the race recovering

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in weak
lacking bodily strength prostrate with fear as the bombs began dropping

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in prone
lying with the face downwards the suspects lay prostrate on the floor while the police searched the room

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

prostrate

2 of 2

verb

ˈprä-ˌstrāt How to pronounce prostrate (audio)
1
as in to weaken
to diminish the physical strength of an athlete prostrated for weeks by a bout of pneumonia

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to paralyze
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move the huge increase in gas prices really prostrated the nation's economic engine

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to overwhelm
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress a widow prostrated by crushing grief

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4
as in to down
to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall the boxer bragged that he could prostrate any opponent with a single blow

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective prostrate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of prostrate are prone, recumbent, and supine. While all these words mean "lying down," prostrate implies lying full-length as in submission, defeat, or physical collapse.

a runner fell prostrate at the finish line

When would prone be a good substitute for prostrate?

While in some cases nearly identical to prostrate, prone implies a position with the front of the body turned toward the supporting surface.

push-ups require a prone position

Where would recumbent be a reasonable alternative to prostrate?

The words recumbent and prostrate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, recumbent implies the posture of one sleeping or resting.

a patient comfortably recumbent in a hospital bed

When could supine be used to replace prostrate?

While the synonyms supine and prostrate are close in meaning, supine implies lying on one's back and suggests inertness or abjectness.

lying supine on the couch

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of prostrate
Adjective
To his right, where the prostrate body of a dying woman was jostled in the bloody fray. — Dan Barry, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2025 Parsons, having disentangled himself from a Bears tackle, retracing his steps and leaping over a prostrate Montgomery to recover the fumble. — Dallas News, 30 Oct. 2022
Verb
Groypers believe that for decades America has prostrated itself to immigrants and foreign nations at the expense of its own languishing citizens. — Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026 His prostrating himself in front of Vladimir Putin is now oily and explainable. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 11 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for prostrate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prostrate
  1. exhausted
  2. weak
  3. prone
  4. weaken
  5. paralyze
  6. overwhelm
  7. down
  8. tired
Adjective
  • Phoenix Henrichsen, who made his first court appearance with scraggly long hair and looking exhausted, appeared Monday neatly groomed, with his hair pulled back in a bun.
    — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • As hundreds of exhausted migrants head back to Morocco and others vow to stay, residents describe a city upended by clashes, military deployments and a deeply unsettled border.
    — Sergio Rodrigo Ruíz, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of exhausted
Adjective
  • Similar to Spokane, the windiest periods will be during the daytime from Friday through Sunday, with weaker winds each night.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The next step came in 2009, when mathematicians Jordan Ellenberg, Akshay Venkatesh and Craig Westerland posted a preprint paper that claimed to prove a weaker version of the conjecture for every prime.
    — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of weak
Adjective
  • Caglianone should take advantage of his matchup against a homer-prone and fly-ball pitcher by launching a home run tonight and cash in for bettors who take advantage of his alluring +489 odds to hit a home run.
    — Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Though typically lower in fat, frozen yogurt is prone to containing high amounts of sugar.
    — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of prone
Verb
  • Analysts are less optimistic that the latest intervention could fundamentally alter the broader course of the yen’s weakening.
    — John Liu, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
  • If the partner feels disconnected from the hotel brand, the benefit may add utility while weakening the program’s positioning.
    — Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of weaken
Verb
  • Vaccines Are Victims Of Their Own Success Most parents have not seen a child permanently paralyzed by polio or struggling to breathe from diphtheria.
    — Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • But as anyone who’s stared at a wall of swatches well knows, choosing the right shade can feel paralyzing.
    — Kelly Dawson, Architectural Digest, 31 July 2026
Definition of paralyze
Verb
  • Standing amid the ruins of the villa and grotto, you might be overwhelmed by the ancient mythology that electrifies the air here.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Technology That Actually Works Modern luxury vehicles can overwhelm drivers with technology, and Mercedes certainly hasn’t embraced minimalism here.
    — Karl Brauer, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of overwhelm
Verb
  • In the National Women's Soccer League's other matches, Gotham FC downed the Houston Dash 1-0; Racing Louisville beat the Chicago Stars 2-1; and Angel City played to a 1-1 draw with the Kansas City Current.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Ukraine hit back, officials in Russia say Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry said air defenses downed 258 Ukrainian drones overnight.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 30 July 2026
Definition of down
Adjective
  • One way to discourage the habit would be to keep yourself from becoming overly tired.
    — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 30 July 2026
  • Many of those creators can no longer command the same fees from brands, and more often than not their followers are tired of the same old content.
    — Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 30 July 2026
Definition of tired

Browse Nearby Words

prostitutions
prostrate
prostrated
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Cite this Entry

“Prostrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prostrate. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on prostrate

Nglish: Translation of prostrate for Spanish Speakers

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