People in this country make it a habit to bow when they meet.
Source: tatoeba (59256)
Bow
/bəʊ/
Synonyms for "bow" (358 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (72)
Strong matches (107)
causticcavecave incellochinecircleclumpcompanionconchoidcondyleconflexurecontrabassconvexcowercrawlcreepcremonacringecringe tocrook
Show 61 more words
crossbowcrouchcrouch beforecrowdcurlcurtsycurvationcurvaturecurved stringdecurvedeferdeflectdeflectiondiacausticdipping the colorsdo homagedo obeisancedomedouble bassdoweldraperyducke stringearellipseembowembracefallfall down beforefawnfestoonfiddlefiddlebowfiddlestickfigureheadfingerboardflangeflapflatterflectionflexflexureforecastleforedeckforepeakg stringgallgeanticlinegenuflectgenuflectiongeosynclinegnarlgo downgo undergreetinggrovelhailhairpin turnhand clasphand-clasp
Verb(9 words)
Noun(17 words)
curtain callcurtseycurtseyingcurtseyscurtsiescurtsyingcurvecurvesdecorative knotdrawforeforepartforesfrontgenuflectinggenuflectionsgift bow
Related words (179)
handlehandshakehave enoughhellohillhomagehookhow-do-you-dohughumphunchhyperbolainclinationincurvateincurveinflectinflectionjib boomjogjoggle
Show 129 more words
kisskitkit fiddlekit violinkneelkneel tokneelingknobknotknuckleknuckle toknuckle underknurknurlkowtowlick the dustlickspittleliplituuslongbowlooploselose outlose the daylumpmake a legmake a reverencemake obeisancemaking a legmeandermolemountainnevusnodnosenubnubbinnubbleobeisanceobeyobsequiousnessoxbowpapillomaparabolapartspegplay violinpresenting armsproreprostrationprowrecurvereflectreflectionreflexretroflexreverenceribridgeringrostrumrounds-curvesagsalaamsalutationsalutesawsay unclescrapescrollservilityshipshouldersinussmilesmile of recognitionsoundboardspinesquatstanding at attentionstemstoopstradstradivaristradivariusstringstudstylesubmissionsubmissivesubmissivenesssubmitsuccumbsuffersupinationswagsweeptabtake the counttenor violintoadeattoadytracerytruckletruckle totubercletuberculetumbletuning pegturnturningtwistundergovaultverrucavesicleviolaviolinviolinettevioloncellovioloncello piccolovioloneviolottawalewartwaveweltwind
Noun(20 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: prow, a string, accede, accede, accept.
- Sentence evidence is available for bow, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "bow".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "bow"
Keep "bow" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "bow" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "bow", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "bow" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
37 entriesactactionarmbendbuckle underchange postureconcessioncurvecurved shapedecorationdeformationflexfrontgesticulategesture
Showing 16 of 37 words.
More specific
15 entriesCollocations
10 entriesarchery bowbow stringbow tiebrief bowdeep bowformal bowgift bowpolite bowrespectful bowship bow
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
5 entriesTranslations
67 translations across 58 languages.
Afrikaans
1 entries- strykstok noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Arabic
2 entries- عصاية noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
- قَوْس noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Asturian
1 entries- arcu noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Bavarian German
1 entries- Bogn noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Belarusian
2 entries- смык noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
- смычо́к noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Breton
1 entries- gwareg noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Bulgarian
1 entries- лък noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Catalan
1 entries- arc noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Chinese Mandarin
2 entries- 弦樂器的弓 /弦乐器的弓 noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
- 琴弓 noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Czech
1 entries- smyčec noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Danish
1 entries- bue noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Dutch
1 entries- strijkstok noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Esperanto
1 entries- arĉo noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Finnish
1 entries- jousi noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
French
1 entries- archet noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
German
1 entries- Bogen noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Greek
1 entries- δοξάρι noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Greenlandic
1 entries- tagiut noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Hebrew
1 entries- קֶשֶׁת noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Hungarian
1 entries- vonó noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Icelandic
1 entries- bogi noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Ido
1 entries- arketo noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Irish
1 entries- bogha noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Italian
2 entries- archetto noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
- arco noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Japanese
1 entries- 弓 noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Kazakh
2 entries- ысқы noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
- қияқ noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Khmer
1 entries- ឆាក noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Korean
1 entries- 활 noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Kyrgyz
1 entries- смычок noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Latvian
1 entries- lociņš noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Lithuanian
2 entries- smičius noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
- strykas noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Macedonian
1 entries- гудало noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Manx
1 entries- bow noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Māori
2 entries- kōpere noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
- whana noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Norman
1 entries- artchet noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- bue noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Norwegian Nynorsk
1 entries- boge noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Ojibwe
1 entries- naazhaabike'iganaak noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Ottoman Turkish
1 entries- زخمه noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Persian
1 entries- آرشِه noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Polish
1 entries- smyczek noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Portuguese
1 entries- arco noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Romanian
1 entries- arcuș noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Russian
1 entries- смычо́к noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Scottish Gaelic
2 entries- bogha noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
- slatag noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Serbo-Croatian
2 entries- gùdalo noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
- гу̀дало noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Slovak
1 entries- sláčik noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Slovene
1 entries- lok noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Spanish
1 entries- arco noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Swedish
1 entries- stråke noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Thai
1 entries- คันชัก noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Turkish
1 entries- yay noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Ukrainian
1 entries- смичо́к noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Uzbek
1 entries- kamoncha noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Vietnamese
1 entries- vĩ noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Walloon
1 entries- airçon noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Welsh
1 entries- bwa noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
West-Frisian
1 entries- strykstôk noun (rod used for playing stringed instruments)
Sample sentences
38 total sentences available.
I bow to your superior judgement.
Source: tatoeba (70350)
I was forced to make a bow.
Source: tatoeba (253223)
I bow to the boss in greeting, and he returns my bow with a nod.
Source: tatoeba (258723)
Showing 4 of 38 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "bow"?
Closest matches include prow, a string, accede, accede, accept.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "bow"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.