ajoelhar

Portuguese edit

(Brazil) IPA^(key): /a.ʒo.eˈʎa(ʁ)/ [a.ʒo.eˈʎa(h)]
- (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /a.ʒo.eˈʎa(ɾ)/
- (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /a.ʒo.eˈʎa(ʁ)/ [a.ʒo.eˈʎa(χ)]
- (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /a.ʒo.eˈʎa(ɻ)/

(Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɐ.ʒwɨˈʎaɾ/
- (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɐ.ʒwɨˈʎa.ɾi/

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

(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 knelt before the king.
(figurative, takes a reflexive pronoun, intransitive, or transitive with a or diante de) to kneel to (to accept defeat; to accept someone’s superiority)
Synonym: genuflectir

Conseguimos fazer nosso inimigo se ajoelhar.
We were able to make our enemy kneel.

Ela ajoelhou-se ao professor.
She knelt before her teacher.
(transitive) to make someone kneel
Ajoelhei os prisioneiros com um cassetete.
I made the prisoners kneel with a truncheon.
(figurative, transitive, poetic) to subjugate (to forcibly impose obedience or servitude)
Synonym: subjugar

Roma ajoelhou seus vizinhos.
Rome subjugated its neighbours.

Conjugation of ajoelhar (See Appendix:Portuguese verbs)

¹Brazilian Portuguese.
²European Portuguese.