CEFR B1

curtsy

verb

Meaning

To bend the knees and lower the body with one foot crossing behind the other, as a gesture of respect or greeting, typically performed by women.

Examples

She curtsied deeply when the king entered the room.
The ballerina finished her performance with a graceful curtsy.

Synonyms: bow, dip, genuflect

Learn English that separates you from the crowd with Anaversity: private classes, Ani practice, Campus tools, and a public English-learning community.

curtsy (B1)

verb

Pronunciation: /ˈkɜːr.tsi/

Definition

To bend the knees and lower the body with one foot crossing behind the other, as a gesture of respect or greeting, typically performed by women.

Examples

She curtsied deeply when the king entered the room.
The ballerina finished her performance with a graceful curtsy.
The children were taught to curtsy to their elders.

How to Use curtsy

curtsy to (prepositional phrase): To perform a curtsy towards someone as a sign of respect or greeting. — "The young ladies were taught to curtsy to the visiting dignitaries."
make a curtsy (collocation): To perform the action of a curtsy. — "She made a perfect curtsy when she met the queen."

Synonyms of curtsy

Words with a similar meaning to curtsy:

Antonyms of curtsy

Words with the opposite meaning to curtsy:

Browse the full Anaversity dictionary